The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
