The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
