The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived 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 in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
