The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, 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
