The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
