The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
