The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
