The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
