The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
