The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
