The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club 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 opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
