The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
