The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 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 after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
