The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
