Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
