Cancellieri Displays Brief Sparks of Brilliance in Bright Spot for Struggling Lazio
The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn