The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
