Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign 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
