SERIE A COULD LEARN FROM ENGLAND - DI CANIO
The West Ham playmaker, who won the fair play award from Fifa this week, said the game is played in a far more sporting manner in England.
"The problem is that in Italian football trickery rules," Di Canio said. "Players are taught to fall when they are slightly touched. In England instead, players are honest and fair.
"Many times I argued with opponents, but even last time I went to the other team's locker-room and I shook eveyone's hand, complimenting them and wishing them the best of luck.
"This is the spirit. In Italy instead punches fly and players threaten you saying, ‚ÇÿI'm waiting for you at the next match'. These are mafia-like attitudes! I played in Italy 4-5 years ago, and this is what was happening
Di Canio, speaking exclusively to rete.it, also spoke out against David Trezeguet having a ban overturned for aiming a headbutt at an opponent, comparing it to the 11 game ban he received for pushing over referee Paul Allcock.
"Nobody says anything about the ban having been lifted," Di Canio added. "But who pushes a referee like me gets an 11 match suspension and is branded as a barbarian who needs to go through rehab, just like a killer who spent 20 years of his life in prison!
"But the head butting act is a violent act. Even if there was no contact the gesture was ugly, violent, vulgar, and dangerous.
"If Inzaghi was 5 cm. closer he would have been hit right on his face. But, they say he wasn't touched, so the ban was revoked. And nobody says anything.
"Is a push to a ref worse than a head butt to an adversary? This makes me think that we are so used to daily violence that these types of gestures are considered normal."
