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The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.

A Season Unraveling?

Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.

Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.

Matteo's Unexpected Return

One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.

He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."

Uncovering His True Position

It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn