The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
