The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
