Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Bright Spot for Struggling Lazio
The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn