Cancellieri Shows Flashing Moments of Brilliance in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
