Cancellieri Displays Glimpses of Brilliance in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
