The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
