The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
