The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
