The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
