The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
