The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
