The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
