Matteo Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
