The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
