The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
