The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent 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 binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
