The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
