The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
