The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
