The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
