The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
