The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, 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 over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
