Football in brief: Di Canio | Gavin Rae

FORMER Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio has confirmed he will not be returning to the npower League One club after his recent departure.

Since the Italian resigned last week, citing a number of off-field events including the sale of star player Matt Ritchie, the Robins have been taken over by a new consortium.

The former West Ham striker remained short odds with a number of bookmakers to make a sensational U-turn.

However, when asked if there was any chance he would return to the managerial hotseat, he told Sky Sports News: “No, because they didn’t prove to me that they wanted to keep me. So this was enough, no chance. My chapter at Swindon is finished.

“I didn’t see a very strong desire to keep Paolo Di Canio.

“I am a straight man and I handled a situation this year that was absolutely incredible, I don’t have any regrets.”

Rae admits he feels pain of supporters

ABERDEEN midfielder Gavin Rae is adamant the Dons are not far off being a good team but he shares the frustration of fellow fans that they are struggling to produce when it matters.

The Dons fell four points behind Ross County in the SPL and saw their hopes of a top-six finish take a blow when they lost 1-0 to the Dingwall side at Pittodrie on Tuesday night.

Aberdeen have only taken two points from six games against high-flying Highland sides Inverness and County, and Rae knows time is running out to prove themselves. He told RedTV: “It’s difficult – fans are always impatient and I can understand that because everyone wants to see their team doing well.

“I support the team as well. It’s difficult seeing the club like this and not doing as well as we would like. I don’t think it’s far away but you don’t get that time to produce what you want to.”

Huth opts to accept three–match ban

STOKE defender Robert Huth will serve a three-match suspension after deciding not to contest a Football Association charge of violent conduct.

The German was charged following a clash with Fulham defender Philippe Senderos in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage that was missed by match officials at the time.

He will miss Saturday’s Premier League match with West Ham and those against Newcastle and West Brom.

Video footage from the match showed Huth catching Senderos with his forearm, and Stoke would have been mindful that an appeal deemed frivolous could have resulted in an extra match being added to the ban.

Huth’s absence will break up his centre-back partnership with captain Ryan Shawcross and leaves them without a specialist centre-half.