The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
