The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach 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 unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
