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The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Coming Unstitched?

Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.

The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence

At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.

He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, 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 identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn