The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
