The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
