Matteo Cancellieri Displays Glimpses of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
