Cancellieri Demonstrates Flashing Moments of Genius in Bright Spot for Struggling Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
