The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
