The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
