The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
