The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated 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. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
