The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
