The mood at the Stadio Olimpico 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 previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
