The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
