The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
