The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
