The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
