Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Genius in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
