Paolo Di Canio
FameRank: 6

"Paolo Di Canio" is an Italian former professional Association football/footballer. He made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals in the course of his playing career before moving into management. During his playing days he primarily played as a forward (association football)/forward but could also play as an attacking midfielder.

Di Canio began his career in the Italian Serie A, playing for S.S. Lazio/Lazio, Juventus F.C./Juventus, S.S.C. Napoli/Napoli and A.C. Milan, before a brief spell with the Scottish club Celtic F.C./Celtic. He subsequently spent seven years in the English Premier League with Sheffield Wednesday F.C./Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United F.C./West Ham United and Charlton Athletic F.C./Charlton Athletic. He returned to Italy in 2004, playing for Lazio and Atletico Roma F.C./Cisco Roma before retiring in 2008. He played for the Italy national under-21 football team/Italian under-21s but was never capped for the Italy national football team/senior team.

More Paolo Di Canio on Wikipedia.

I am a fascist, not a racist.

I didn't think it would be this great. I didn't believe we could control the match in that way.

I am fascist, not racist. I do the Roman (fascist) salute to greet our supporters and those who share my ideas. This gesture is in no way an incitement to violence and even less about racial hatred.

I will avoid certain situations, but I will continue my battles, without second thoughts and with even more decisiveness.

We will try and get the fans on our side.

It was a political sentence, it was an unjust decision. My gesture has nothing to do with political ideologies.

But I will continue my battle for liberty in other ways, with he help of the lawyers who assist me.

I will always salute that way because it gives me a sense of belonging to my people.