The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
