The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
