The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
