The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
