Paolo Di Canio: No racist

Charismatic Paolo Di Canio has only been Sunderland’s manager for a day and there has been constant talk of his political beliefs rather than his chances of keeping Sunderland in the Premier League.

Di Canio has come out and said it is “stupid and ridiculous” that he is being described as a racist.

Back in 2005 in an interview in Italy he said, “I am a fascist, not a racist.”

The Italian has pointed out, “When I was in England my best friends were Trevor Sinclair and Chris Powell, the Charlton manager – they can tell you everything about my character.”

Whilst the Italian game is surrounded in politics, the English game has always prided itself in the fact that when you go to football, it is only the game that matters.

Di Canio continued to say, “I don’t want to talk about politics because it’s not my area. We are not in the Houses of Parliament, we are in a football club. I want to talk about sport. I want to talk about football, my players, the board and the fans.”

Sunderland’s chief executive, Margaret Byrne, has said, “It’s been very disappointing to read some of the reaction to Paolo’s appointment. To accuse him now of being a racist or having fascist sympathies, is insulting not only to him but to the integrity of this football club.”

But Piara Powar, the director of anti-racism group Football Against Racism in Europe, has come out and demanded that the ex-Lazio player explains his political beliefs.

He said, “When there is a rise of intolerance and there is a coach in the Premier League, which is the most watched league globally, who hasn’t clarified or wanted to renounce his fascist views during his time in the UK, it is a worrying time.”

Sunderland released an official statement, on Monday, with Di Canio saying, “I don’t have a problem with anyone. I don’t know why I have to keep repeating my story, to be defending myself on something that doesn’t belong to me every time I change clubs. Talk about racism? That is absolutely stupid, stupid and ridiculous.”

Meanwhile the former Swindon chairman Jeremy Wray states that the manager he appointed has been unfairly treated, “I knew him for two years but we never spoke about politics. It is not relevant to keeping Sunderland in the Premier League.

“He pushed me to sign many black players, his agent is Jewish and his best friend is at West Ham was probably Trevor Sinclair.

“If his best players were eleven eskimos then he would play them!”