The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 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.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
