🔗 Share this article

The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?

Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.

Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.

Matteo's Surprising Comeback

One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.

Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His Best Role

Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn