The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
