The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
