Cancellieri Demonstrates Brief Sparks of Genius in Positive Aspect for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
