The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
