Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Flashing Moments of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent 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 finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
