The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
