The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season 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
