The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
