The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
