Matteo Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
