The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
