Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
