The atmosphere 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 scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
