Matteo Cancellieri Displays Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
