The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team 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 ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
