The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
