The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
