The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority 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 "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
