Former Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio has called TalkSPORT to defend his fiery character.
Di Canio is one of the most colourful characters to have ever graced the Premier League - both as a player and a manager.
Capable of the sublime and the outright ridiculous, the Italian maestro was never far away from the headlines on the pitch.
From scoring the winning goal for West Ham at Old Trafford, to his outstanding scissor kick volley against Wimbledon, to asking Harry Redknapp to substitute him against Bradford, arguing with Frank Lampard over who was to take a penalty kick in the same game, the memories of Di Canio go on and on.
After retirement, he made the transition to a manager and achieved promotion from League Two with Swindon, and left the Robins flying high in League One before a fall out with their ownership.
He then moved to Sunderland, where his brief spell in charge was shrouded in controversy, fallouts with players, and a memorable derby win at Newcastle in 2013.
Among it all, though, is an unwavering level of self-belief and a conviction that what he has always tried to do was the right thing.
So when he called TalkSPORT on Wednesday afternoon for a conversation about his career, you will be unsurprised to hear he defended his character.
“In a good or a bad way, I am a tempered guy,” he said.
“So sometimes I would go out from a normal conversation, you know, like when you are stressed, when you are under pressure and you don’t accept something.
“Maybe you could be wrong in the way you explain your idea or your opinion.
“But to be honest everybody has a percentage of the time where it was wrong or right. But every time I had a problem with some managers, I was always right!”
Di Canio’s most controversial moment in the Premier League came while playing for Sheffield Wednesday at home to Arsenal.
The 51-year-old infamously pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground after being sent off and was handed an 11-match suspension.
Reflecting on the incident now, Di Canio admits it is something he regrets.
He added: “It is obvious that was the worst thing that I could do because the referee is the main man that is between the two contenders that fight in an honest way for the result.
“Even if you think the referee is wrong you can’t touch him and to be honest I can say this: I was completely wrong.
“I have said many times but to be honest if we look at the gesture I made it wasn’t violent. It was the way it happened was very bad and wrong to show the children and everybody, but in a special way to the children.”
Tags: Sunderland AFC, Paolo Di Canio, Barclay’s Premier League
