Matteo Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
