🔗 Share this article Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito. A Season Falling Apart? Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him. Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or imploding. Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to stay there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options. He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently." Discovering His True Position Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn