The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
