The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
