The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
