Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
