The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
