The feeling at their home stadium 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 previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
