The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
