The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
