The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
