The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
