The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
