The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing 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 finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
