The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
