The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
