The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. 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 for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
