The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
