Cancellieri Demonstrates Brief Sparks of Genius in Bright Spot for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, 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 over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
