The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 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 president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
