The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
