Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
