The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
