The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
