The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk 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 recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
