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The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten 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 president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Falling Apart?

Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.

Cancellieri's Unexpected Return

One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.

He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."

Finding His Best Role

It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn