The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two 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 coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
