The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
