Matteo Cancellieri Displays Flashing Moments of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
