The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season 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 during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
