The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
