The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
