Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
