The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable 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 made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
