Matteo Cancellieri Shows Flashing Moments of Exceptional Talent in Silver Lining for Unstable Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn