Matteo Cancellieri Displays Flashing Moments of Genius in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. 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, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
