The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
