The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
