Cancellieri Shows Glimpses of Genius in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last 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 Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
