The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
