The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
