The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. 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. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
