The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
