The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
