Cancellieri Shows Brief Sparks of Genius in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent 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.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
