The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio 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 would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
