The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
