The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
