Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Genius in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
