The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
