The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating 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, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
