The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
