The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A 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 following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
