The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
