The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
