The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
