The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
