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The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?

Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.

Cancellieri's Unexpected Return

One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.

Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."

Finding His True Position

Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn