The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
