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 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
