The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
