The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 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 left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. 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. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
