Cancellieri: ‘I Hope to Stay With Lazio for Many Years’

Matteo Cancellieri opened up about his ambitions with Lazio, his quiet debut season and how he’s adapted to life in the Italian capital.

The 21-year-old Italian striker joined the Biancocelesti from Hellas Verona last summer on a loan deal with an €8 million obligation to buy clause attached, adding a raw but talented forward to Maurizio Sarri’s squad.

Cancellieri has featured semi-consistently this season, starting just once in Serie A but making 19 league appearances for 228 minutes in total. He’s still yet to score his first goal for the club, although he has shown positive signs when given the chance.

Speaking at the ADiCoS Football Gala (via Calciomercato.com), Cancellieri first discussed his move to Lazio last summer and his relationship with Maurizio Sarri.

Last year in Verona I made my Serie A debut and scored both in the league and in the Coppa Italia. It was a satisfying first season, but at Lazio the level is high, with strong players who have achieved important results.

I think I need time to settle in and become incisive. Sarri is a great coach, who is making me grow a lot, also in the striker role. I know I can do well with him, and I hope to stay with Lazio for many years, also to play with Immobile. I hope to find consistency.

He touched on his slow start to life with the Biancocelesti and his ambitions to make a name for himself with the club.

Now I’m at an important team and I’d like to find space with this team. It’s difficult for a youngster to settle immediately at such a high level and in such a short time. I come from Verona where the expectations coming from the club and the fans were less intrusive.

Here you rightly expect more. I try to do my best and be useful. It’s not easy for a young man to enter and make an impact in such an important team and league. It takes time, I’m not in too much of a hurry, I have time to prove myself. I am confident.

Cancellieri is contracted to Lazio until June 2027 and will remain part of Sarri’s squad for next season, giving him time to settle in properly.

Tags Biancocelesti Cancellieri Italy Lazio Matteo Cancellieri Rome Serie A

1 Comment

  1. I like this lad, I hope him an Basic will start getting more recognition, pedro is not getting younger and SMS is likely to leave so we need both of them to step up and they both seem to have great mentality. In the middle we still have enough power without SMS so Cancellieri must hurry up rather then Toma, altough Basic has been here for longer. Good luck to both of then 🤍💙

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