The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
