The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
