The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing 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 wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
