The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
