The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
