The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
