The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
