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 let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
