Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
