Paolo Di Canio says he was advised to “run away to Italy” after his notorious shove on referee Paul Alcock whereas enjoying for Sheffield Wednesday.
The Italian pushed over the official in anger after being proven a purple card throughout a Premier League sport in opposition to Arsenal in 1998, leading to an 11-match ban.
Di Canio advised the Up Entrance with Simon Jordan podcast that he was stunned by the speedy response he encountered, however accepts that he deserved the size of punishment he obtained.
“After that sport in opposition to Arsenal within the dressing room, one of many Sheffield Wednesday backroom employees got here to me and stated, ‘run away to Italy’,” Di Canio stated.
“I couldn’t have imagined that response, however I began to understand that with the media and the issues, I needed to go. I knew I had carried out one thing very unsuitable, however I couldn’t have imagined how large it could change into.”
He continued: “I feel the ban I obtained was proper. Considering as a footballer, I’d be egocentric and say it was an excessive amount of and it ought to have solely been a three-match ban, however I’ve to assume as a sportsman and I feel it was the fitting message to ship.
“It despatched a message to others to say that you just can not act like that. If that they had given me three matches that will have been evaluating what I did to a foul problem, it wouldn’t have despatched an actual message.
“I’d have the matches that I received suspended for in favour of a much bigger fantastic and I attempted to ask for that. I requested the FA to take out 5 or 6 of the matches from my suspension and fantastic me extra however they caught to it and I feel that was the fitting factor to do.”
Di Canio was chatting with the William Hill podcast ‘Up Entrance with Simon Jordan’.
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