The feeling 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 netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
