The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
