The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
