The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
