The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then 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 as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
