Paolo Di Canio: An Italian Storm in a Very British Teacup

So, Paolo Di Canio is not a fascist. He's said so himself in an official club statement to distance himself from rumours that he held far-right beliefs. Rumours that all started when he said he was a fascist.

The Italian's appointment has caused a deluge of debate and horrified reaction across England, but it's difficult to see why. Di Canio is neither the first nor the last footballer to say something stupid, and unless UEFA plans to punish each and every one of them it's time to move on.

Di Canio's comments, and his actions, have often been abhorrent. But then, John Terry racially abused someone in front of millions of people and went on to represent England at Euro 2012 while the powers that be in the FA delayed his case. English football's not exactly leading the way in the fight against racism. 

Of course, giving the Sunderland manager job to someone with right-wing connections was always going to be controversial. A club with proud working class, socialist traditions might not seem like the most obvious destination for someone like Di Canio, but this is professional football.

There was an opportunity, and he took it, in much the same way as the club took the chance to secure the services of someone who's proving to be an effective—if still controversial—manager in a time of dire need.

Plenty of other people took the opportunity, too. The opportunity to fill newspaper columns and to earn political kudos, in the case of David Miliband, the former Labour MP, who resigned from the club's board in protest. That Miliband is moving to New York to take up an important new charity role and was probably looking for an out anyway has nothing to do with it.  

"in the light of the new manager's past political statements, I think it right to step down," said Miliband, possibly as he checked in online for his flight. 

The papers have made plenty out of it too. The Daily Mail selectively deleted some passages in Di Canio's autobiography to concoct this quote:

"

In his autobiography, Di Canio describes Mussolini, the National Fascist Party leader until his execution in 1945, as 'basically a very principled, ethical individual' who was 'deeply misunderstood'.

"

The full quote is slightly more nuanced: 

"

He deceived people. His actions were often vile. But all this was motivated by a higher purpose. He was basically a very principled individual. Yet he turned against his sense of right and wrong. He compromised his ethics.

"

Clearly, anything but a full denunciation of someone like Benito Mussolini leaves a foul taste in the mouth. But Di Canio is better left to hang himself. Twisting his words to make them worse than they already are is needless and only serves to weaken an argument against him. 

For his part, he's done his best to put the past behind him. His statement on the Sunderland website read:

"

This is a historic, proud and ethical club and to read and hear some of the vicious and personal accusations is painful. I am an honest man, my values and principles come from my family and my upbringing.

I feel that I should not have to continually justify myself to people who do not understand this, however I will say one thing only - I am not the man that some people like to portray.

I am not political, I do not affiliate myself to any organisation, I am not a racist and I do not support the ideology of fascism. I respect everyone.

"

Does he? Who knows? But until Di Canio commits a crime or causes controversy with racist remarks, he should be left to do his job. Football has bigger problems, and chasing one controversial foreigner out of English football will do little to tackle the big issues. 

Racially charged events, like that between Terry and Anton Ferdinand last year, are still common. And the gay rights organisation Stonewall claims that seven in 10 fans attending a football match in the last five years has witnessed homophobic abuse. They say that as many as 78 percent of fans believe openly gay players would be targeted. 

Di Canio once said that the best lesson his father ever taught him was when he slapped him in the face at dinner, in front of the footballer's own wife and child. He'd been rude to his mother, and he deserved to be put in his place. He's clearly not above taking criticism, and 10 years on from his hateful comments it's possible that he regrets them and has developed as a person. 

They were, after all, made at a time when England's much-loved Ron Atkinson was insulting Chinese women and calling French legend Marcel Desailly a "lazy f*****g thick n*****r."

Atkinson's defence—"I've offended nobody more than me at the moment. It's cost me roughly a million quid"—was laughable. But it got better. Oddly similar to Di Canio's disputed 2005 claim that he is "a fascist but not a racist," Atkinson said he wasn't a racist but was "an idiot."

Di Canio has already suffered for his fascist connections. It was largely due to his right-wing ultra links that his contract was not renewed by Lazio president Claudio Lotito in 2006, and the remarks have been dogging him ever since. 

Having now come out publicly denouncing racism and fascism, Di Canio should be allowed to move on with his career. He's a character that will always divide opinion but short of finding someone guilty of a thought crime it's time to put this controversy to bed, even if this writer is among the many who find the Italian to be a repugnant character. 

He says he "respects everyone." Let him prove it.