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The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Coming Unstitched?

Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.

The Youngster's Surprising Presence

At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.

Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His True Position

Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn