The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
