Di Canio hits out at furore over fascism claims

The 44-year-old Italian, appointed as Martin O’Neill’s successor at Sunderland, was asked on several occasions if he supported fascism and was clearly angered by the questioning. A news conference was cut short after repeated questions about his political beliefs – Di Canio previously apparently stated in a 2005 interview with an Italian news agency to being “a fascist, but not a racist”, and his appointment led to the resignation of the club’s vice-chairman David Miliband, Labour MP and a former foreign secretary.

Former Celtic star Di Canio said: “I don’t have to answer any more this question. There was a very good statement from the club, [with] very, very clear words that came out from me. My life speaks for me so there is no need to speak any more about this situation because it’s ridiculous and pathetic.

“I can’t every two weeks, every two months, every ten months answer the same questions that are not really in my area. We are in a football club and not in the House of Parliament. I’m not a political person, I will talk about only football.”

Di Canio has been pictured making a fascist salute to Lazio fans in the past and the Durham Miners’ Association has asked the club to return a banner which is kept at the Stadium of Light if Di Canio remains in his post, describing his appointment as a “disgrace”. Asked today if he would meet the association, Di Canio said: “I don’t understand this problem. I am a manager, I’m a normal man, I’m a family man. The words sometimes fly away, what counts in life is the facts, who you are, what you are doing, what you did in the past so I think that should be enough and that they will be happy one day.

“I have said many, many words in the past and people have picked the words they wanted, I can’t keep going on about my life and my family. The people who are talking in this way, they don’t understand Paolo Di Canio.”

He also insisted the controversy would not impact on the squad, who are only a point off the relegation zone. He told the news conference: “It’s not a  distraction, they are footballers.”

Sunderland released a statement on Monday saying claims Di Canio has racist or fascist sympathies were insulting to both the “integrity of the club” and their new manager.

Di Canio himself said, like at Swindon previously, he would win over those fans unhappy at his appointment. He said: “It was the same for a different reason at Swindon. There were many, many people who could not believe that Di Canio was the right manager for the club. After two months, there were 9,000 people at the end of the game clapping their hands for my players and singing my name.

“It is more important the Sunderland fans sing my players’ names as they need the extra lift. They will then be happy, probably, as they will think they were wrong and now we have to keep Di Canio forever.”

Di Canio added that he would “bet everything” that Sunderland would be in the Premier League next season. He said: “The press call me the mad Italian but I would confidently bet everything I have on Sunderland remaining in the top flight. When I got the call, I felt fire in my belly. I would have swam to Sunderland to take the job.”

Sunderland’s new partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation is not under threat following the appointment, the organisation confirmed yesterday, while anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out expressed concern about far-right groups in football and called on Di Canio to state a commitment to equality. A statement said: “Football clubs have a responsibility to ensure that their employees demonstrate a commitment to anti-discrimination and equality of opportunity. It may be in the interest of both the club and Mr Di Canio to acknowledge a full and frank commitment to these policies.”