The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn