The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate 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. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn