The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn