The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
