The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
