🔗 Share this article Matteo Cancellieri Displays Flashing Moments of Brilliance in Positive Aspect for Struggling Lazio The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito. A Season Coming Unstitched? Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him. Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing. Matteo's Unforeseen Presence At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options. He signed in the first place 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 the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him." Finding His Best Role Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn