The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
