The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous 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 Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus 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. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
