Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Bright Spot 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 allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Falling Apart?

Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.

Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.

Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence

One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.

Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."

Discovering His True Position

It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn