The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
