The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
