The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
