The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
