The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
