The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself 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 netted seven goals. Shoehorn
