The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
