The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
