The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
