The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
