The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
