The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative 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
