The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
