The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
