Cancellieri Demonstrates Brief Sparks of Genius in Bright Spot for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing 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 wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
