The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
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 accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
