Cancellieri Shows Flashing Moments of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn