The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
