The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
