Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club 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, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
