The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
