The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
