Matteo Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Struggling Lazio
The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
