The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
