Cancellieri Displays Glimpses of Genius in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn