Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all 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 "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
