The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated 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 their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
