The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
