The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
