Paolo Di Canio ‘Spat In His Own Face Several Times’ In Dressing Room Before Getting Sacked By Sunderland

Chris Wright

30th, September 2013

7 Comments

By Chris Wright

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Sunderland v Fulham - Stadium of Light

“Hey, O’Shea, these are for you buddy!”

The Daily Mirror are reporting Exhibit X/Y/Z (we forget which letter we’re down to these days) in the “Proof if proof were needed that Paolo Di Canio is an angry, incomprehensible, barely coherent goon balloon” file this afternoon, claiming that the Italian “spat in his own face several times” as part of the dressing room rant that eventually culminated with his sacking as Sunderland manager last week.

With the story coming by way of Sunday People scribe Alan Nixon, Di Canio is said to have spat in his own face a few times after Sunderland’s defeat at West Brom; taking swigs of water, spraying it into the air, letting it fall on his face, rubbing it in and then yelling at his players “that is what you have done to me, spat in my face” before telling them all to do it to themselves.

Di Canio, ever the masterful man-motivator, apparently also told his team he hoped someone threw human faeces in their faces. He then told players they could phone chairman Ellis Short to complain about him if they didn’t like his methods. Several did, and Di Canio was sacked shortly thereafter.

As we said before the season, Di Canio’s rabid, passionate postulating, public berating and hard-line discipline may have been enough to get by in the lower leagues but it’s painfully obvious that kind of thing won’t wash in the Premier League these days. Players, quite rightly, are just used to a more professional standard of management.

Quite frankly, we’re fairly amazed he lasted as long as he did! Nothing of value was lost.

Posted in FAIL, Managers, Newsnow, Sunderland

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7 Comments

  1. One Man Went to Mow says:

    I dunno I just got the feeling we were going to get more of a show than this, whole thing seems like a bit of a let down.

  2. Chris B. says:

    Don’t say nothing of value was lost – we neutrals have lost a great source of entertainment.

    From Keane to Di Canio, the Sunderland front office seem to love browbeating, unstable former players running the show. Who’s next?

  3. platztourist says:

    is lee bowyer a coach yet?

  4. D says:

    @chris B

    Gattuso please.

  5. TravisKOP says:

    @Chris B: well said, they better get cantona next then

  6. Stumpy Moose says:

    When the Mirror refers to something “we cannot print in a family newspaper”, human faeces isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. But maybe that’s just me.

  7. Andy Bill says:

    Di Canio’s rabid, passionate postulating, public berating and hard-line discipline may have been enough to get by in the lower leagues but it’s painfully obvious that kind of thing won’t wash in the Premier League these days.
    Which means in English, lower league players will fight for their places and their club while overpaid average players in the premier league will sulk and carry on drawing their huge wages regardless of the fans being let down.

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