Matteo Cancellieri Displays Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
