Matteo Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering 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 upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
