The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus 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 club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
