The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
