Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact 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 omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then 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 as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
