The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
