Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, 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 over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
