The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
