The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
