The name Paolo Di Canio and the word controversy go hand in hand. Ever since young Paolo would travel with the Lazio fans he would end up getting into a brawl with the opposing team supporters...
April 9, 2006 (Press Release) --
The name Paolo Di Canio and the word controversy go hand in hand. Ever since young Paolo would travel with the Lazio fans (at that time he already was a key member of the Lazio Youth team) he would end up getting into a brawl with the opposing team supporters, while defending his favourite Light Blue Colors courting controversy. This sometimes overboard Lazio skipper has given football many moments that we'll all remember.
Ever since he moved to Juventus in the early part of his career, he immediately started getting into trouble. At Juventus, he fought with the coaches Maifredi and Trappatoni. Then from Turin he joined Napoli for one season and then went to AC Milan. There too, he fell out with coach Capello saying that the further away he was from Capello the better he'd be. And indeed, thats what happened as after just two seasons at Milan in which period he won his first Italian Championship, he left for Celtic of Scotland. After a season at Celtic in which he won the Scottish Player Of the Year, he moved to the Premiership with Sheffield Wednesday. But there came one of the worst moments of his career, as he pushed referee Paul Alcock after being shown the red card. Furthermore, during the investigations by the FA, he told them that the referee had dived! He ended up getting banned for 11 games, one of the heftiest ever given.
Then predictably he left Sheffield and joined West Ham United. At West Ham, we got to see a new side of Di Canio as in a match against Everton he refrained from scoring, as he saw that the goalkeeper was lying injured. This earned him the FIFA Fair Player Of the Year in 2002. When West Ham got relegated in 2003, Di Canio joined Charlton for a year before returning to "His" club Lazio in the summer of 2004.
At Lazio he pretty much became an instant hit thanks to his past history and his solid performances. But then came a preview of what was to come twice again, the dreaded fascist salute after Lazio's 3-1 victory over Roma. Though Paolo claimed that the salute was not a fascist one but more of a Roman salute he was still fined 10,000 euros. The salute was the trademark of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini before it was adopted by the Nazis. After that incident was the one against Livorno on December 11, 2005 where again he flashed his arm in a traditional fascist manner, earning him yet another ban and a fine. However, this was only handed out in January, in that time he had already used the salute again during Juventus' draw with the Biancolesti.
Paolo has always insisted that he is a fascist and not a racist. In fact shortly after all this controversy, he went and met the Holocaust survivors and later stated the following "I've listened to the stories but I still have my ideas,". Then again he insulted the referee before the game against Roma in February, which has earned him a fine of 5000 euros. Also, he said that he didn't think much of Amantio Mancini's decision to nullify his goal after he told the referee that he had scored with his hand.
Some call him a rightist while others call him a bit overboard. Say what you might say, one thing is for certain that Di Canio is a great player who has time and time again proved as to what an asset he is to the Lazio team.
Ever since he moved to Juventus in the early part of his career, he immediately started getting into trouble. At Juventus, he fought with the coaches Maifredi and Trappatoni. Then from Turin he joined Napoli for one season and then went to AC Milan. There too, he fell out with coach Capello saying that the further away he was from Capello the better he'd be. And indeed, thats what happened as after just two seasons at Milan in which period he won his first Italian Championship, he left for Celtic of Scotland. After a season at Celtic in which he won the Scottish Player Of the Year, he moved to the Premiership with Sheffield Wednesday. But there came one of the worst moments of his career, as he pushed referee Paul Alcock after being shown the red card. Furthermore, during the investigations by the FA, he told them that the referee had dived! He ended up getting banned for 11 games, one of the heftiest ever given.
Then predictably he left Sheffield and joined West Ham United. At West Ham, we got to see a new side of Di Canio as in a match against Everton he refrained from scoring, as he saw that the goalkeeper was lying injured. This earned him the FIFA Fair Player Of the Year in 2002. When West Ham got relegated in 2003, Di Canio joined Charlton for a year before returning to "His" club Lazio in the summer of 2004.
At Lazio he pretty much became an instant hit thanks to his past history and his solid performances. But then came a preview of what was to come twice again, the dreaded fascist salute after Lazio's 3-1 victory over Roma. Though Paolo claimed that the salute was not a fascist one but more of a Roman salute he was still fined 10,000 euros. The salute was the trademark of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini before it was adopted by the Nazis. After that incident was the one against Livorno on December 11, 2005 where again he flashed his arm in a traditional fascist manner, earning him yet another ban and a fine. However, this was only handed out in January, in that time he had already used the salute again during Juventus' draw with the Biancolesti.
Paolo has always insisted that he is a fascist and not a racist. In fact shortly after all this controversy, he went and met the Holocaust survivors and later stated the following "I've listened to the stories but I still have my ideas,". Then again he insulted the referee before the game against Roma in February, which has earned him a fine of 5000 euros. Also, he said that he didn't think much of Amantio Mancini's decision to nullify his goal after he told the referee that he had scored with his hand.
Some call him a rightist while others call him a bit overboard. Say what you might say, one thing is for certain that Di Canio is a great player who has time and time again proved as to what an asset he is to the Lazio team.
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