Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
