The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
