The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
