The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
