Cancellieri Proves The Doubters Wrong As Lazio Gear Up For Serie A

Lazio’s preseason keeps moving forward, and the latest friendly in England showed real progress, especially from Matteo Cancellieri. Once listed among the surplus players, the young forward has flipped the script. Signed during sporting director Tare’s tenure and considered the only real “addition” of this summer by president Lotito and director Fabiani, Cancellieri has become one of the standout stories of the camp.

Cancellieri could have been sold to bring in cash and a guaranteed return, but Maurizio Sarri stopped the move. After two loan spells at Empoli and Parma, the winger came back more mature and better prepared, fitting neatly into the coach’s plans. That’s a big change from two years ago, when the €7.5 million outlay for a 2002-born striker drew skepticism and he was asked to cover heavy duties, as a central forward and as Ciro Immobile’s backup.

Even then, there were believers: former Italy coach Mancini and scouting chief Sandreani saw his potential and handed him a Nations League debut as a winger. The road has been long, but Cancellieri is now starting to see the first real rewards.

According to today’s Corriere dello Sport, Lazio have “found” a new striker in-house, and Sarri intends to keep him as an alternative to Isaksen, who is almost certain to miss the first two league matches due to mononucleosis. In practical terms, Cancellieri has been fully promoted, moving ahead of teammate Noslin in the internal pecking order.

The preseason numbers back it up. Cancellieri set up Zaccagni and forced an own goal in Istanbul, scored in the training match against the Primavera at Formello, and was decisive again versus Burnley in England: he first crashed a header off the crossbar, then broke away on the counter and finished in open play for the winner.

In a summer unlike most for Lazio, Cancellieri’s resurgence, along with Cataldi’s return, stands out as unquestionably positive. What began as a cost-saving asset sale idea has turned into a ready-made option for Sarri’s front line, built on maturity, versatility, and a growing end product.