The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
