Matteo Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
