The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
