Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
