The mood at the Stadio Olimpico 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. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, 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 they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
