The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
