The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
