Matteo Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign 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
