The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
