The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
