The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
