The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
