The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
