The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
