{"id":553642,"date":"2020-06-13T13:35:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-13T17:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=553642"},"modified":"2020-06-13T13:35:08","modified_gmt":"2020-06-13T17:35:08","slug":"premier-league-legends-paolo-di-canio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/06\/13\/premier-league-legends-paolo-di-canio\/","title":{"rendered":"Premier League Legends: Paolo Di Canio"},"content":{"rendered":"

As delectable as he was detestable, as decadent as he was destructive, Paolo Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0arrived in the Premier League as a talented, if travelled, 29-year-old in August 1997.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paolo Di Canio: A Premier League Legend<\/h2>\n

Di Canio’s Beginnings<\/h3>\n

Arms folded, eyes to the floor, the Italian cut a brooding exterior next to David Pleat at his Hillsborough unveiling after Sheffield Wednesday brough<\/span>t the\u00a0<\/span>tempe<\/span>stuous<\/span>\u00a0Roman south, after the latest in a string of Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0induced bust-ups. This time at Celtic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing up in the working-class\u00a0<\/span>Quarticciolo<\/span>\u00a0area of the Italian capital, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0mastered the art of the enigmatic at an early age.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fat little kid they called ‘lard-ball’ drew the ire of many in his AS Roma-supporting district by developing a love affair with bitter city <\/span>rival’s<\/span> SS Lazio. Both would last; the love affair with Lazio, and his ability to draw ire.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was at his beloved\u00a0<\/span>Biancocelesti<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>that he began his career in 1985, developing through the team’s youth system\u00a0before eventually making his Serie A debut as a 20-year-old in 1988. A late start perhaps, he quickly developed a cult status amongst the infamous<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Irriducibilli<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u2013 Lazio\u2019s hardcore\u00a0<\/span>ultra-fan<\/span>\u00a0element \u2013 when arriving late at the back post to smash home a winner in the Rome Derby in January 1989, a win that went a long way to help a struggling side stay up that year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the summer of 1990, he had alerted the attentions of the biggest club in his homeland. A move to Juventus<\/a> could have, even should have, paved the way for a glittering trophy-laden career for Di <\/span>Canio<\/span>, given what all his then teammates would achieve in the late 1990s. But, struggling for air in a team that included the creative forces of Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio <\/span>Ravanelli<\/span>, Gianluca Vialli and Andreas Moller, to name but a few, had worn thin by the summer of 1993. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He left for<\/span> Napoli for a season<\/span> before returning north again to AC Milan<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Damaged Relationship Brings Him to Britain<\/h3>\n

That insatiable hunger for involvement and adoration prickled and punctuated his time at Milan and, despite winning his first, and <\/span>subsequently,<\/span> his last Serie A title, his relationship with Fabio Capello broke down as he struggled for first-team recognition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One can only wonder if Britain would have ever been blessed with his presence, had Serie A not been enjoying its golden age at the summit of world football during the 1990s. For Di Canio, it seemed a career that looked to have promised so much would be choked into mediocrity in his homeland amongst the galaxy of stars.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What he wanted was a clean break \u2013 at Celtic in the summer of 1996, he found everything his heart desired. For a time, of course.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed by Hoops legend Tommy Burns for only \u00a31 million, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0discovered not just a manager who idolised and nurtured his more than apparent talent, but a friend who could channel the forces of darkness simmering under the surface and deliver explosions of sheer brilliance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a magical year in Scotland. Thirty-seven appearances yielded 15 goals, that adoration <\/span>he\u2019d<\/span>\u00a0longed desired from the terraces, and even a Scottish PFA Player of the Year award.\u00a0<\/span>But,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Q<\/span><\/i>uesto<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00e8 Paolo<\/span><\/i>!\u00a0<\/span><\/i>It was a matter of when and not if.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A dispute over what Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0claimed was an agreement between himself and Fergus McCann \u2013 the Celtic chairman of the time \u2013 over better pay after his scintillating first season, proved the catalyst for the dissolution of what looked a happy marriage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Glasgow and Scotland\u2019s loss became Sheffield, and ultimately, the English game\u2019s gain.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smooth Start<\/h3>\n

Forging a potent partnership with compatriot Benito Carbone, the duo seemed to singlehandedly steer Wednesday clear of what looked to be certain relegation after a disastrous start to the 1997\/98 campaign.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The summer of 1998 saw Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span> introduced to his third manager in less than a year at Hillsborough when Danny Wilson took over the reins from Ron Atkinson \u2013 Atkinson leaving under a cloud of controversy after rectifying the early season mistakes of Pleat the previous year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn’t upset his groove. <\/span><\/p>\n

He started the season relatively brightly, notching goals in 3-0 victories over Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> and <\/span>Blackburn Rovers<\/span>\u00a0as well as the consolation in a 2-1 defeat away to Wimbledon the weekend before the Saturday that would\u00a0define for many, not just his time in England, but Paolo Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0himself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An Iconic Moment<\/h3>\n

Champions Arsenal <\/a>were the visitors on September 26<\/span>th<\/span> – a game that Wednesday would eventually go on to win 1-0 thanks to a sumptuous dipping effort late on from Lee Briscoe. However, nobody remembers that goal or the fact the victory was negotiated by ten men. Football simply remembers how the home side came to be at a numerical disadvantage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the final minute of the first half, a melee developed after Patrick Viera and Peter Rudi became embroiled in a disagreement. Di Canio, never one to back away from an argument, pitted himself against Arsenal hardman Martin Keown, the diminutive tyke holding his own. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the dust settled and referee Paul\u00a0<\/span>Alcock<\/span> regained control, it was he<\/span>\u00a0who would be fingered as the\u00a0<\/span>incident’s<\/span>\u00a0central aggressor. In what would become an iconic Premier League moment,\u00a0<\/span>Alcock<\/span>\u00a0branded a red card to an\u00a0<\/span>irate<\/span>\u00a0Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>, who subsequently shoved the official to the floor before being ushered away by coaches and teammates to the tunnel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Chance and a Famous Goal<\/h3>\n

The big red button had been pushed again. Denounced by Wilson and the Wednesday hierarchy, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0was slapped with an\u00a0<\/span>11-match<\/span>\u00a0ban by the Premier League, and another love affair\u00a0<\/span>came to an abrupt end<\/span>. In January 1999, Harry Redknapp threw the 30-year-old another life ring, admitting he was \u201ctaking a chance\u201d in bringing him<\/span> to West Ham United<\/a> for a cut-price of \u00a31.5 million.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He would go on to score five goals in that half-season, including one in a final day win against <\/span>Middlesbrough<\/span>\u00a0that secured a\u00a0<\/span>fifth-place<\/span>\u00a0finish for the Irons, their highest ever Premier League finish. An achievement he could be proud of.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His\u00a0<\/span>absolution<\/span>\u00a0came with the turn of the\u00a0<\/span>millennia<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He had already helped himself to 12 Premier League goals by the time Wimbledon arrived at Upton Park in late March of 2000, helping West Ham <\/span>consolidate<\/span>\u00a0their top-half position from the\u00a0<\/span>previous<\/span>\u00a0season.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the eighth\u00a0<\/span>minute<\/span>, a Trevor Sinclair cross\u00a0<\/span>swept<\/span>\u00a0from the\u00a0<\/span>right-hand<\/span>\u00a0side onto an already airborne Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0right foot. With all the artistry\u00a0<\/span>befitting<\/span>\u00a0what was another Italian Renaissance of sorts, he masterfully guided the ball past a helpless Neil Sullivan in the Dons goal on the volley.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The strike would be voted goal of the decade in a December 2009 poll by Sky Sports viewers and is lauded as one of the greatest acts of <\/span>mastery<\/span>\u00a0the Premier League has ever seen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His\u00a0<\/span>mastery<\/span> was never in doubt, but if it was redemption Paolo Di Canio <\/span>sought<\/span>, he found it the following season.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Redemption<\/h3>\n

Locked at 1-1 in a tremendous battle with Everton<\/a> at Goodison Park, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0West Ham had the ascendency late on as they searched for a come-from-behind winner. But when Everton\u00a0<\/span>stopper<\/span>\u00a0Paul Gerrard seriously hurt himself in an innocuous stumble thwarting a West Ham attack, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0earned the applause of the Goodison crowd when catching another Sinclair centre with the goal at his mercy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This act of remarkable sportsmanship earned the firebrand a FIFA Fair Play Award at the end of the season,\u00a0<\/span>a far cry from<\/span>\u00a0that final day in Sheffield blue and white.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe it<\/span>\u00a0was a physical representation of the love that he had for West Ham. For in love he was, and moreover they loved him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just weeks after the Everton game, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span> rebuffed what would be his final opportunity to play at one of Europe\u2019s elite, saying no to Sir Alex Ferguson when Manchester United<\/a> expressed great interest in\u00a0<\/span>acquiring<\/span>\u00a0his services. Now 32, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>reportedly told<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>deflated<\/span>\u00a0Ferguson that he\u00a0<\/span>couldn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0turn his back on West Ham after\u00a0<\/span>everything<\/span>\u00a0the East Londoners had done for him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving West Ham<\/h3>\n

Like all true love stories, it ended in\u00a0<\/span>heart-breaking<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>poignancy<\/span> with the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the 2002\/03 season<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>N<\/span>eeding two wins from their final two games to stay alive, they beat Chelsea<\/a> at Upton Park in the penultimate game of the\u00a0<\/span>season<\/span>, Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span>\u00a0sprung from the bench to grab a winner twenty minutes from time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The post-game scenes of raw emotion saw a tearful Di Canio parade to every corner of the ground, saluting the fans in what turned out to be his last home game in <\/span>claret<\/span>\u00a0and blue.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Launched again from the bench with eight <\/span>mi<\/span>nutes\u00a0<\/span>r<\/span>em<\/span>aining<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and 2-1 down away to Birmingham City the next week, o<\/span>f course, it would be Di Canio who would give his fanatical support the faintest glimmers of hope, drawing West Ham level in the 89<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0minute<\/span>. Alas,\u00a0<\/span>they succumbed and an era had finished.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Career Endings<\/h3>\n

Di\u00a0<\/span>Canio<\/span> enjoyed one more season in the Premier League before a return to his homeland \u2013 helping Charlton Athletic to a <\/span>seventh-place<\/span>\u00a0finish in 2003\/04<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He played right up until the threshold of his forties, entertaining his own people at first Lazio and then Serie C side Cisco Roma before hanging up his boots.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He scored 123 goals in 575 appearances with ten different clubs, never once appearing for the Italian national side.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That being said, his<\/span>\u00a0impact on the Premier League was unquestionable, his story paralleling with the likes of Cantona and Gascoigne, the flawed geniuses of the Premier League era.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We did get one more fleeting glance, this time of Paolo the manager, taking the reins at Sunderland<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>mid-way<\/span> through the 2012\/13 season fo<\/span>r wh<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ultimately<\/span>\u00a0tur<\/span>ne<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0out to be an ill-fated stint at the helm. Despite securing\u00a0survival for the Black Cats, finishing 17<\/span>th<\/span>, his time in the North East\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>ame to an end<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>e<\/span>arly on in the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>ubsequent<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>campaign after his side\u00a0<\/span>f<\/span>ailed to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>win their opening five games.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His managerial shortcomings will do little to dampen the legendary status bestowed on him for what he could do on a Premier League pitch.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Delectable. Detestable. Decadent. Destructive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paolo Di <\/span>Canio<\/span>. A true Premier League great.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>