The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
