The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
