The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
