The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" 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 remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
