.jpg) Di Canio in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paolo Di Canio[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-07-09)9 July 1968 (age 57)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy[1] | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Youth career | |||
| Lazio | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985–1990 | Lazio | 54 | (4) |
| 1986–1987 | →Ternana (loan) | 27 | (2) |
| 1990–1993 | Juventus | 78 | (6) |
| 1993–1994 | Napoli | 26 | (5) |
| 1994–1996 | Milan | 37 | (6) |
| 1996–1997 | Celtic | 26 | (12) |
| 1997–1999 | Sheffield Wednesday | 41 | (15) |
| 1999–2003 | West Ham United | 118 | (47) |
| 2003–2004 | Charlton Athletic | 31 | (4) |
| 2004–2006 | Lazio | 50 | (11) |
| 2006–2008 | Cisco Roma | 46 | (14) |
| Total | 534 | (126) | |
| International career | |||
| 1988–1990 | Italy U21 | 9 | (2) |
| 1989 | Italy B[3] | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2013 | Swindon Town | ||
| 2013 | Sunderland | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professionalfootballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as aforward. He primarily played as adeep-lying forward, but he could also play as anattacking midfielder, or as awinger. Di Canio was regarded as a technically skilled but temperamental player.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Di Canio began his career in the ItalianSerie A, playing forLazio,Juventus,Napoli andMilan, before a brief spell with the Scottish clubCeltic. He subsequently spent seven years in the EnglishPremier League withSheffield Wednesday,West Ham United andCharlton Athletic. He returned to Italy in 2004, playing for Lazio andCisco Roma before retiring in 2008. He played for theItalian under-21s, making nine appearances and scoring twice, and was a member of the squad that finished in third place at the1990 UEFA European Under-21 Championship under managerCesare Maldini, but was never capped for thesenior team.[10]
Among the individual awards he received as a player, Di Canio was namedSPFA Players' Player of the Year in 1997 and West Ham'splayer of the season in 2000. However, his career was at times characterised by controversy: he received an eleven-match ban in 1998 for pushing a referee and attracted negative publicity over his allegiance tofascism.
In 2011, Di Canio entered football management in England withSwindon Town, guiding them in his first full season as manager to promotion toLeague One. He was appointed as theSunderland manager at the end of March 2013 but was sacked on 22 September after Sunderland had won only three of thirteen games under his managership.
Di Canio was born in Rome, in the district of Quarticciolo, a working-class area populated mainly byRoma fans. However, Di Canio was drawn to their local rivalsLazio. As a young boy, he was addicted to cola and similar drinks and calledPallocca, a slang term meaninglard-ball. He was fat and knock-kneed, and needed to wear orthopedic shoes – "But I never hid. My response was to exercise; to try to become the kind of person I am."[11]
He signed forLazio in 1985 and remained there until 1990. Lazio won promotion to Serie A in 1988, having narrowly escaped relegation toSerie C1 the year before. He finally made his first-team debut in October 1988 and went on to play 30 games during the1988–89 season.[12] Di Canio scored the winner in the firstRome derby of the season, a goal which contributed to Lazio's survival in Serie A that season and earning him hero status. In 1990, he was sold to another of Italy's biggest clubs,Juventus;[12] although he won theUEFA Cup with the Turin side in 1993, he struggled to gain playing time during his tenure with the club, because of the presence of other forwards and creative midfielders in the team, such asRoberto Baggio,Salvatore Schillaci,Pierluigi Casiraghi,Fabrizio Ravanelli,Gianluca Vialli andAndreas Möller.[7] He left Juventus after an "animated exchange" with then managerGiovanni Trapattoni[11][13] and spent the1993–94 season withNapoli.[11] Two seasons followed atAC Milan, where, despite winning theSerie A title in 1996, he once again struggled to gain playing time because of heavy competition from his teammates, culminating in another row, this time withFabio Capello.[11][13][7][6]
In July 1996 he joinedCeltic in Scotland. In his first season at the club, he scored 15 goals in 37 appearances[14] and won theSPFA Player of the Year award.[15] However, his time in Glasgow was dogged by controversy; he was sent off during a 2–2 draw againstHearts in November 1996[16] and was heavily involved in an acrimonious league match againstRangers in March 1997 where he behaved aggressively towardsIan Ferguson and gestured in the direction of Rangers' bench as he was led from the field by teammates.[15] He was called to the referee's room after the teams had returned to the dressing room and was shown another yellow card in addition to the one he had received earlier in the game.[15] He demanded a large wage rise at the end of the season, but this was rejected by Celtic.[15] He then refused to join the squad in the Netherlands for their pre-season training during July 1997.[12]
On 6 August 1997, Di Canio moved to the EnglishPremiership as he joinedSheffield Wednesday in a transfer deal valued at around £4.2 million.[15] Whilst in Sheffield, Di Canio was the club's leading goal scorer for the1997–98 season with 14 goals and he became a favourite of the fans.
In September 1998, Di Canio pushed refereePaul Alcock to the ground after being sent off while playing for Sheffield Wednesday againstArsenal at Hillsborough, which resulted in an extended ban of eleven matches.[17] and him being fined £10,000.[18]
In January 1999, Di Canio signed forWest Ham United for £1.5 million. He had not played football since his ban following his push on Paul Alcock. West Ham managerHarry Redknapp, on signing Di Canio, admitted he was taking a chance but said of the player "He can do things with the ball that people can only dream of". Di Canio said of his ban, "I made a mistake and I'm sorry. West Ham have given me a big chance and I'm very happy."[19] He scored his first goal for West Ham on 27 February 1999 in his fourth game. Playing againstBlackburn Rovers, Di Canio made the first goal in a 2–0 win, forIan Pearce in the 27th minute and scored the second in the 31st minute.[20] He helped them to achieve a high league position (5th) and qualify for theUEFA Cup through theIntertoto Cup. He was also the OPTA player of the season1998–99. He scored theBBC Goal of the Season in March 2000 with a flying volley againstWimbledon,[21] which is still considered among the best goals in Premiership history[22] and was named as the Premiership's goal of the decade in a December 2009Sky Sports News viewers' poll, scoring 30% of votes.[23] In this season he was also votedHammer of the Year by the club's fans.
In December 2000, late in a game againstEverton and with both sides vying for the winning goal, Di Canio shunned a goal-scoring opportunity and stopped play, grabbing the ball from a cross inside thebox, as the Everton goalkeeperPaul Gerrard was lying injured on the ground after he twisted his knee attempting a clearance on the edge of the box. TheGoodison Park crowd reacted with a standing ovation. FIFA officially lauded Di Canio's gesture, describing it as "a special act of good sportsmanship,"[24] and awarded him next year theFIFA Fair Play Award.
Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him forManchester United halfway through the2001–02 season, but his attempts were unsuccessful and Di Canio remained inEast London for another season and a half.[25] Di Canio insisted that he would not have been able to leave West Ham, who had handed him a "lifeline" in the "worst moment" in his life.[26]
In 2003, with the Hammers struggling at the bottom of the league, Di Canio had a very public row with managerGlenn Roeder and was dropped from the first team. However, he returned at the end of the season (after Roeder, stricken by a brain tumour, was replaced byTrevor Brooking) and scored a winner againstChelsea in the penultimate game of the season, a game that boosted West Ham's chances of staying in the Premiership.[27] However, they were relegated on the final day of the season after a 2–2 draw away toBirmingham City, where Di Canio scored an 89th-minute equaliser.[28] He was released on a free transfer and signed withCharlton Athletic for the start of the2003–04 season.[29]
In his one season atThe Valley, Di Canio helped Charlton finish the season in seventh place, the club's highest league finish since 1953. However, he only scored four league goals for the Addicks, all of which came from the penalty spot (one from a rebound). One of the penalty kicks was an audacious "Panenka"-style penalty kick againstArsenal.[30][31] Di Canio also continued to be a provider of goals, however, notably in October 2003 when he came on as a second-half substitute with Charlton trailing 1–0 away atPortsmouth. He provided most of the spark for Charlton's much-improved second-half display, and afterJonathan Fortune had equalised for Charlton, it was from Di Canio's corner kick in the last minute thatShaun Bartlett headed home the winning goal.[32][33]
Even though he had already signed an extension to his Charlton contract, in August 2004 he returned to his home team ofLazio, taking a massive pay cut in order to return to the financially stretched Roman team.[34] Lazio fans were happy to have a Rome-bred Lazio supporter in the team again, something missing since the departure ofAlessandro Nesta in 2002. He scored in theRome derby, just as he had in 1989, leading the team to a 3–1 victory overRoma on 6 January 2005. However, the negative publicity that Di Canio generated for Lazio, including his intimate relationship with club'sultras and their increased influence due to his presence in the team, coupled with problems with some teammates and coaches, exasperated club president and majority shareholder,Claudio Lotito, with whom he already had a difficult relationship. As a result, Di Canio's contract was not renewed in the summer of 2006. During several of his games for Lazio – including duringgoal celebrations – Di Canio made a fascist salute to their right-wing fans.[35] He subsequently signed withCisco Roma ofSerie C2 on a free transfer. In his first season with Cisco Roma, the team finished second in the league but lost in the play-offs. He subsequently agreed to stay with Cisco for another season, in a second attempt to win promotion toSerie C1 with the Roman side.
On 10 March 2008, Di Canio announced his retirement from football, ending his 23-year playing career before the end of the season because of physical issues. It was his intention to begin coaching lessons atCoverciano to gain a coaching position.[36] In an interview he revealed that his dream would be to manage former clubWest Ham, and applied for the position after the resignation ofAlan Curbishley in September 2008.[37] Di Canio played inTony Carr's testimonial game atUpton Park on 5 May 2010, which featured a West Ham team against West HamAcademy old boys. He played for both sides during the match. The West Ham team won 5–1.[38] In July 2010, in honour of Di Canio, West Ham announced the opening of the Paolo Di Canio Lounge, within the West Stand, at theirUpton Park ground,[39] which was formally launched by the unveiling of a plaque by Di Canio himself, on 11 September 2010.[40]
Di Canio was never capped forItaly at senior level, although atU21 level he earned eleven call-ups and nine caps between 1988 and 1990, scoring twice.[41]
A versatile attacker, Di Canio primarily played as a deep-lying forward, but he could also play as an attacking midfielder, or as a winger. A talented yet controversial player, Di Canio was predominantly known for his creativity, eye for goal, technical ability, anddribbling skills, as well as his quick feet and intelligent play on the pitch, and was described as having "an eye for the spectacular" byThe Irish Times in 2001, and as a "mercurial" player by Chris Howie ofbeIN Sports in 2020; however, he was equally known for being inconsistent and for his temperamental character, as well as his tenacity and aggression on the pitch.[4][5][6][7][8][9][42][43][44][45]
On 20 May 2011, Di Canio was appointed manager ofSwindon Town on a two-year contract, following the club's relegation toLeague Two.[46] Di Canio began his career as a manager with a 3–0 win overCrewe Alexandra on 6 August 2011.[47] On 30 August 2011, Di Canio was involved in a pitch-side altercation with Swindon strikerLeon Clarke after their defeat in theLeague Cup toSouthampton.[48] In January 2012, Swindon caused aFA Cup shock by defeatingPremier League clubWigan Athletic 2–1. Di Canio stated that he believed his players deserved to have their names put on the stadium and dedicated the victory to his father, who died late in 2011.[49] He was sent to the stands later in the month in a league game againstMacclesfield Town for vociferously venting his frustration at his side not being awarded a free-kick. Swindon won the match 1–0 and with over half the season gone, his team were fighting for promotion toLeague One.[50]
Under Di Canio, Swindon reached the2012 Football League Trophy Final, where they were defeated 2–0 byChesterfield.[51]
On 21 April 2012, Swindon were promoted to the League One afterCrawley Town's 1–1 draw withDagenham & Redbridge andTorquay United's 2–0 loss toAFC Wimbledon, despite Di Canio's side having lost 3–1 toGillingham on the same day. He dedicated the promotion to his parents, his mother having died shortly after his father in April of that year.[52] One week later, Swindon won the League Two title thanks to an emphatic 5–0 victory overPort Vale.[53] Swindon finished the season on 93 points.[54]
Although in the 2012–13 season, Swindon were knocked out of the FA Cup and the Football League Trophy in their first games against lower-league opposition, they did have a solid run in the League Cup in which they won against three teams from higher leagues. They beatBrighton & Hove Albion 3–0, won againstStoke City 4–3after extra time, and beatBurnley 3–1 before narrowly missing out againstAston Villa 3–2 at home.
On 18 January 2013, ahead of Swindon's Saturday clash withShrewsbury Town, Di Canio worked into the night alongside approximately 200 volunteers to clear a snow-covered pitch at theCounty Ground, thus allowing the game to go ahead. He showed his appreciation by ordering the volunteers pizza. Swindon won the match 2–0, which Di Canio publicly deemed a present to the volunteers.[55][56][57]
In January 2013, the Swindon Town chairman announced that because of financial difficulties, no money would be made available for future signings. Di Canio offered to pay £30,000 of his own money to keep loan playersJohn Bostock,Chris Martin andDanny Hollands at the club.[58] With the possibility of the club entering administration, a new buyer was found, subject to Football League approval, and without the knowledge of Di Canio, playerMatt Ritchie was sold toAFC Bournemouth. Further attempts to sign players by Di Canio were rejected by the Football League because of the club's financial situation, with Di Canio "considering his future" at Swindon because of off-field financial problems. In February, Di Canio offered his resignation but said he would withdraw this if approval for the new owners, by the Football League, was received by 18 February. This did not happen, and he resigned as manager of Swindon Town.[59]
On 31 March 2013,Sunderland appointed Di Canio as manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract, following the dismissal ofMartin O'Neill the previous day.[60] The appointment prompted the immediate resignation of club vice-chairmanDavid Miliband over Di Canio's "past political statements".[61] The appointment of Di Canio also sparked opposition from theDurham Miners' Association,[62] which decided to remove one of its mining banners from Sunderland'sStadium of Light, which is built on the former site of theMonkwearmouth Colliery, as a symbol of its anger over the appointment.[63][64] The background to the opposition was past statements made by Di Canio supportingfascism.[62][65]
Di Canio was tasked with keeping Sunderland in the Premier League, following a run of only three points from a possible 24. His first game as manager of Sunderland resulted in a 2–1 away defeat toChelsea.[66] Di Canio's second game in charge was theTyne–Wear derby againstNewcastle United atSt James' Park on 14 April. Sunderland defeated their fierce rivals 3–0, their first away victory in the fixture in over a decade. Each goal sparked wild celebrations from Di Canio and the Sunderland bench.[67] Di Canio then got his first win at the Stadium of Light againstEverton.[68]
Although the team did not win the next three matches, including drawing the final two home games and a heavy 6–1 defeat toAston Villa, Sunderland secured their Premier League survival whenWigan Athletic were defeated atArsenal and relegated, trailing then-17th placed Sunderland by four points with only one game to play.[69]
For the2013–14 season, Di Canio was asked to integrate thirteen players signed by Roberto De Fanti and cope with the loss of experienced players such asSimon Mignolet,[70]James McClean[71] andStéphane Sessègnon.[72] After five league games, Sunderland had gained only a single point, from an away draw withSouthampton.[73] Di Canio was dismissed on 22 September 2013, the day after the fifth match of the season, a 3–0 defeat toWest Bromwich Albion, and only his 13th match in charge.[74] Sunderland chief executive officer Margaret Byrne stated that Di Canio had been sacked after senior players had approached her and that his situation became untenable because of his "brutal and vitriolic" criticism of the squad.[75] Di Canio denies this.[76]
Di Canio was linked with theCeltic job in May 2014,[77] and applied for vacant managerial positions atBolton Wanderers in October 2014,[78] andRotherham United in September 2015[79] and again in February 2016.[80]
In 2005, he characterised his political views by declaring that he was "afascist, not a racist".[81]
His use of theFascist salute towardLazio supporters, a gesture adopted byItalian fascists in the 20th century, has created controversy. Documented uses of the salute include in matches against arch-rivalsRoma andLivorno, a club inclined to left-wing politics.[82] Di Canio received a one-match ban after the second event and was fined £7,000.[83] He was later quoted as saying, "I will always salute as I did because it gives me a sense of belonging to my people ... I saluted my people with what for me is a sign of belonging to a group that holds true values, values of civility against the standardisation that this society imposes upon us."[84] His salute has been featured on unofficial merchandise sold outsideStadio Olimpico after the ban.[82]
He has also expressed admiration for the fascist dictatorBenito Mussolini. In his 2001 autobiographyPaolo Di Canio: l'Autobiografia (Paolo Di Canio: The Autobiography), published byLibreria dello Sport,[85] he praised Mussolini as "basically a very principled, ethical individual" who was "deeply misunderstood".[86][87]
In 2010, Di Canio attended the funeral of senior fascistPaolo Signorelli, where mourners were photographed making mass fascist salutes towards Signorelli's coffin.[88] Signorelli had been convicted of involvement in the 1980Bologna massacre, a neo-fascist terrorist attack which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200.[89]
Di Canio's political ideology has been a source of controversy in the course of his managerial career. When Di Canio was appointed as the manager ofSwindon Town in 2011, the trade unionGMB terminated its sponsorship agreement with the club, worth around £4,000 per season, because of Di Canio's fascist views.[90]
He was appointed as manager ofSunderland on 31 March 2013. The club's vice-chairmanDavid Miliband, aLabour politician and formerforeign secretary, subsequently stepped down. Miliband stated that he had taken the decision to resign "in the light of the new manager's past political statements".[61] It also met opposition from theDurham Miners' Association,[62] which threatened to remove one of its mining banners from Sunderland'sStadium of Light, which is built on the former site of theWearmouth Colliery, as a symbol of its anger over the appointment.[91][92]
In a profile piece in 2011, an unnamed source asserted that Di Canio was not "an ideological fascist", attributing his behaviour to "his psychological history, particularly his former compulsive tendencies and pronounced mood swings". In the same article, Di Canio said that he was not politically active: "I don't vote, I haven't voted for 14 years. Italian politicians — all of them — think only about themselves, and making money."[86]
Di Canio has several tattoos, including on his rightbiceps theLatin word "DUX", meaning "leader" or, in Italian,Il Duce—a nickname forBenito Mussolini.[93]Sky Sports Italia was forced to apologise after Di Canio appeared as a pundit in September 2016 in a short-sleeved shirt, thus revealing the tattoo to television viewers; he was later suspended by the station.[94] His back is covered with a tattoo of fascist imagery, including an eagle,fasces, and a portrait of Mussolini.[95] He also has aWest Ham United tattoo on his left upper arm[96] and a tattoo of his father on his chest.[97]
Di Canio has spoken also of the growing influence in his life ofSamurai culture, and of the Japanese spiritual mentality from readingMishima, and the teachings in the traditions ofHagakure andBushido.[11]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ternana (loan) | 1986–87 | Serie C2 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| Lazio | 1988–89 | Serie A | 30 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 | 2 | |||
| 1989–90 | Serie A | 24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 26 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 54 | 4 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | 62 | 6 | |||||
| Juventus | 1990–91 | Serie A | 23 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| 1991–92 | Serie A | 24 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||||
| 1992–93 | Serie A | 31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 9[d] | 0 | — | 44 | 4 | |||
| Total | 78 | 6 | 19 | 1 | — | 14 | 0 | — | 111 | 7 | ||||
| Napoli | 1993–94 | Serie A | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 5 | |||
| Milan | 1994–95 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 22 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 8[d] | 0 | — | 34 | 6 | |||
| Total | 37 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 7 | |||
| Celtic[98] | 1996–97 | Scottish Premier Division | 26 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 37 | 15 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1997–98 | Premier League | 35 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 14 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 3 | |||
| Total | 41 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 48 | 17 | ||||
| West Ham United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 4 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 30 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10[f] | 1 | — | 45 | 18 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 31 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 11 | |||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 26 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 9 | |||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 9 | |||
| Total | 118 | 47 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 1 | — | 141 | 51 | |||
| Charlton Athletic | 2003–04 | Premier League | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 5 | ||
| Lazio | 2004–05 | Serie A | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 30 | 7 | |
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[h] | 2 | — | 32 | 7 | |||
| Total | 50 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 14 | |||
| Cisco Roma | 2006–07 | Serie C2 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 33 | 10 | |||
| 2007–08 | Serie C2 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 14 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | 53 | 17 | |||||
| Career total | 534 | 126 | 64 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 44 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 670 | 149 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Swindon Town | 20 May 2011 | 18 February 2013 | 95 | 54 | 18 | 23 | 056.8 | [99] |
| Sunderland | 31 March 2013 | 22 September 2013 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 023.1 | [74][99] |
| Total | 108 | 57 | 21 | 30 | 052.8 | — | ||
Lazio[6]
Juventus[5]
Milan[6]
West Ham United
Individual
Swindon Town
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
