The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
