Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus 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, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
