The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio 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 "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
