The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
