Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Positive Aspect for Unstable Lazio
The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
