The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
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 with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
