The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
