The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
