The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
