The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
