The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
