The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
