The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
