The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
