The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
