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 a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
