Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
