The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
