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The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?

Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.

Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return

At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.

He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His Best Role

Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn