The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
