The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn