The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league 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, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player 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 during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
