The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup 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
