The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
