Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Unstable Lazio
The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn