The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
