The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
