The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
