The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
