The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
