Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Flashing Moments of Genius in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
