The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent 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 Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
