The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
