The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
