Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
