The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
