CM HISTORY – When Di Canio gave Roma fans the finger
During his exuberant playing career, the 47 year old featured both in Premier League and Serie A never failing to express his controversial creativity.
The former Juventus, Ternana, Napoli and Milan is a product of the Lazio academy as well as a well-know fan of the Biancocelesti side. He played with the Capitoline senior team from 1985 to 1990 and from 2004 to 2006. At the end of his first spell at the Stadio Olimpico, Di Canio netted against Roma, the hated city rivals. His opener has made the Derby della Capitale’s history, which is not necessarily a good thing.
Well, actually, what is still stuck in all the fans’ memories is more the celebration than the goal, as the at-the-time young Lazio striker ran under the Curva Sud, Roma’s supporters sector, showing them his middle finger, stopping his crazy run just a few meters before the stands.
In an interview released exactly five years ago to the Italian TV channel Sport Mediaset, the former Lazio recriminated about his celebration, but not for the reason you would thought.
“I should have finish my run right under the stands! Our massager was instigating me saying that I would have never scored against Roma and even if I would, I’d never be brave enough to run under the Curva Sud like Giorgio Chinaglia [already did in another derby]”
The former Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Charlton Athletic created a good number of discussions in the English Premier League too. In 1998, during a match between Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal, he pushed the referee Paul Alcock who had just sent him out, receiving a consequent 11 matches ban.
A couple of years later, the devil turned into an angel. During a match between Everton and West Ham, Di Canio had the chance to score a last-minute goal at Goodison Park, but the goal was empty as the Toffee’s goalkeeper had just suffered a leg injury. Instead of netting a controversial winner, Di Canio opted to catch the ball letting Paul Gerrard, the Everton’s goalkeeper to be medicated.
After a reckless playing career, Di Canio is now the presenter of House of Football, a weekly TV show broadcasted by the Italian TV channel Fox Sports.
