The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
