The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate 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 following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
