The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances 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. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising 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, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
