The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
