The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side 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 concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
