The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
