The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
