Arrivederci, Paulo DiCanio

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He signed for Lazio yesterday.
I'm very sorry to see him go. He's been my favourite Premiership player for the last few years, and given wonderful entertainment.
Pay tribute here.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:21 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/images/products/1328/images/printdicanio.jpg

One of the greatest single strikes in English league history (unless it's not THAT goal but I think it is)

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:26 (twenty-one years ago)

surely he won't get a look-in at lazio at his age?

yeah, i love di canio too. incredible ability, but actually extremely hard-working on the pitch as well. a mixture of alan shearer and eric cantona all in one.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Equally enjoyable to watching him play was watching him moderate his temperament to the point where he we becoming a true role model - reformed bad boy etc. with exemplory dedication, sportsmanship and nous. One of the top ten most gifted foreign imports in the Premiership era.

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:30 (twenty-one years ago)

who are the other 9?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:31 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm...

Henry
Zola
Cantona
Ginola
Klinsmann
Pires
Bergkamp
Van Nistelrooy
Vieira

i wanted to put Kanchelskis tho...and this is too striker-biased i guess...

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Scheichel!

I'm sorry to see him go too - I've always liked him. Also he is in my fantasy team, so I will have to change that.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Ginola?

I'd put Hyppia in there meself. And how Dennis Bergkampf is absent is a mystery.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

not as much a mystery as how you failed to spot him in the list - maybe the missing f? ;)

Ginola arguably better than Di Canio in most departments - both so similar, international misfits, prima donna aspect/misunderstood hero rebels...PDC probably got a better grip in the end tho?

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

You only like Ginola cz he is yr hair-idol.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. I always miss Bergkamp when people try to deny his aryan status.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 12:30 (twenty-one years ago)

His autobiography was written around the time of those 'Who would you like to have one-to-one call with' ads.
In it he comments on Ian Wright choosing Martin Luther King, and says that if he'd been asked, he'd have chosen Mussolini.
I liked that soap ad he did end up making, though

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd forgotten about the Musso thing - BAD PAOLO

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

G to thread top berate x and Joe for this as he berated me when I said this.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The context is important (re:Mussolini) and let's just say he had one eye on garnering a bit of publicity for the book.

There is a recipe for tiramisu in the back by the way.

Such a gifted footballer. There is a great thread on WestHamonline.net about fans favourite Di Canio moments; that goal against Wimbledon pictured above, wrestling the ball from Lampard for a penalty, sitting on the half-way line thumping the pitch in frustration, that second goal against Arsenal at UP with the flick over Keown, the chorus of Donne e mobile around UP, the goal at Old Trafford in the cup, those post-match interviews...

A brilliant player to watch.

― Mikey G lost his password, Wednesday, 11 August 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Then, of course, there's PdC catching the ball rather than nodding it into an empty net at Goodison as Paul Gerrard was down injured 10 yards away. Something like five minutes at go, 1-1.

A bit like Jack Nicklaus picking Tony Jacklin's ball up and conceding his putt on the final green in the '69 Ryder Cup (USA and GB tied; if Jacklin had missed his three-footer, GB would have lost). Without the inevitable 'he's nuts' overtones.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

And the penalties...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

He's nuts!

― the nutfox, Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

He's definitely in the top three players I've seen at Celtic. Love, love, LOVE him.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

also, you've spelt his name wrong. It's Paolo.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I apaologise

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I re-read the Mussolini pages in his authobiography last night. He admits to be being 'right wing' and having a 'fascination' with Mussolini and what drove him. He explicitly states he is no racist and it's Mussolini's compromise of ethics that interested him. I dunno, I wish he hadn't bothered, but I guess his publisher thought it would create a bit of controversy. I remember Di Canio talking in the press about it saying he knew it would be taken the wrong way. I don't know what the right way to take it is.

Still, even with a fascination for Mussolini, he sits to the left of most Hammers fans.

― Mikee G, Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Well Mussolini is a fascinating character (like all fascist menkos) so it's perfectly understandable in that context.

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

It always seemed strange to me that Benito Carbone could have that first name. Wouldn't that be like calling a German kid Adolf?

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I know (re Steve's post), it just leaves a bitter taste. Maybe because he stops talking about Mussolini and follows it with a recipe for tiramisu.

― Mikee G, Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't wait for Reyes to start going on about Franco.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I imagine Benito was a more common name in Italy than the (seemingly rare anyway) Adolf in Germany tho

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as the tiramisu wasn't too bitter it's all good G

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

I like the way he's rebuffed all those fascist rumours by going to Nazio.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 13 September 2004 08:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Scored a penalty in their opener yesterday (and may have scored more, I switched over before half time). They are his hometown club he supported as a (hitler) youth, Dave.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 13 September 2004 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Paulo waves to his mum:

http://www.repubblica.it/speciale/2004/calcio/images/prima/salutorom.jpg

― Dave B (daveb), Sunday, 9 January 2005 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Looks as if he's doing that thing Grandads do to scare kids with their false teeth sticking out.

I remember Sky Soccer Saturday doing a profile with him and he started jumping up on tables re-enacting Dead Poet's Society. Menko, but class all the same.

The shiny booted solo effort against Aberdeen is my favourite Paolo moment, the perfect blend of arrogance, composure and skill. I'd take him before any other player in the world in a one-on-one with a keeper.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Sunday, 9 January 2005 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

he scored a terrific volley in the game, before going nutty.

he's still got it...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 10 January 2005 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha

Di Canio's agent Matteo Roggi told BBC Radio Five Live: "He says, 'I went down to say hello to my supporters'.

"Obviously, if there was a photographer there that's got a camera that takes 100 pictures a minute, he says he just got him with the right hand up there."

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi David Bowie, it's Paulo here. Wondering if you could help me out of a bit of jam.

― Mr DiCanio (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

nothign wrong with a biter tiramisu, it should far more bitter than sweet.

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

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