The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
