The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
