🔗 Share this article Matteo Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito. A Season Unraveling? Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him. The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing. Cancellieri's Unexpected Return A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings. He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him." Finding His Best Role It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn