In case you haven’t yet seen Swindon Town manager Paolo Di Canio’s astonishing rant after being sent to the stands for the third time this season during his side’s 1-0 win over Macclesfield Town over the weekend…well, here it is:
Scary stuff, you might agree, and wonderfully typical of a man who comes across in public as a loon but is generally described in the fondest terms by anyone he ever played with at Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United and Charlton Athletic.
So, while accepting that it might be pushing it to dismiss his admiration for Mussolini as a mere quirk, Football Burp would still like to take this opportunity to celebrate one of modern football’s great eccentrics.
Take it away, Paolo!
Our favourite Paolo Di Canio YouTube videos
1. Paul Di Canio demands to be substituted after having three separate penalty appeals turned down against Bradford City, a match in which West Ham came from 4-2 down to win 5-4…
2. Paolo Di Canio argues with a young Frank Lampard over who gets to take a penalty during the very same 5-4 win over Bradford…
3. Paolo Di Canio having a set-to with one of his own players…
4. Paolo Di Canio singing…
And…
5. Paolo Di Canio gets sent off for running out of his dugout to celebrate a last minute winner with his players…
6. Paolo Di Canio gets sent off after the final whistle of an Old Firm match…
7. Paolo Di Canio brought to tears by prospect of West Ham going down…
8. Paolo Di Canio famously directs referee Paul Alcock to the turf – always worth watching again, this…
9. Paolo Di Canio in award-winning display of sportsmanship…
10. Paolo Di Canio conveying tactics to his players via the medium of dance…
And, just for good measure, Paolo Di Canio stories as told by Harry Redknapp to an audience of Steve Bruce, Peter Reid and Phil Brown…