The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
