The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
