The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
