The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
