Sunday, December 25, 2005
Di Canio "Explains" - I'm a "fascist but not a racist"
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Di Canio 'fascist but not racist' - BBC
"....Di Canio will contest a one-match ban for the salute, made against Juventus on Saturday, and he told Ansa news agency: "I am a fascist, not a racist. "I made the Roman salute because it's a salute from a comrade to his comrades and was meant for my people. "With this stiff arm I do no want to incite violence or racial hatred." http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4544008.stm
Defiant Di Canio defends fascist salute 'I will continue to salute them in this way' Staff and agenciesTuesday December 13, 2005
Paolo Di Canio has attempted to justify making a fascist, raised arm salute after Lazio's weekend defeat at Livorno, although his club today appeared to be distancing themselves from the incident.
The gesture occurred as Di Canio walked off the field at the final whistle, under grandstands containing Lazio supporters. "I saluted my people with what for me is a sign of belonging to a group that holds true values, values of civility against the standardisation that this society imposes upon us," he said. "I'm proud to be able to count on such people and I will continue to salute them in this way."
The game in Livorno was played in a particularly unpleasant atmosphere; home fans chanted anti-fascist songs while the visitors held up a swastika. It is not the first time Di Canio has made the gesture. He was fined 10,000 euros for doing the same at the end of Lazio's win over arch-rivals Roma in January.
Italian football authorities have not taken action over the latest incident, but if they do, Di Canio believes his club will back him. "I expect a robust defence from my club and this time I'm not going to settle for anything less. I expect my president to defend me, just like presidents do in other clubs, otherwise I'm going to be really pissed off," he said.
However, the club today appeared to distance themselves from the gesture. "Lazio repudiates any kind of racism or politicisation of football, both on the pitch and off it, and invites its shareholders and its fans to react against any attempt to pollute the language of sport," read a statement on its website.
Di Canio's gesture caused particular outrage amongst Jewish groups in Italy, with the president of the Italian Maccabi Federation, Vittorio Pavoncello, calling on Lazio and the authorities to take action. But the player brushed their protests aside.
"If we are in the hand of the Jewish community it's the end," Di Canio said. "If action is taken because one community is up in arms it could be dangerous."
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1666417,00.html
Di Canio a good lad and not a fascist, says Italian PM
ROME: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied suggestions that Paolo Di Canio was a fascist, saying the Lazio striker was simply an exhibitionist.
Di Canio was banned for one game on Monday and fined 10,000 euros (US$12,000) for making a raised-arm, fascist-style salute in a Serie A match at the weekend.
His gesture has been widely condemned by politicians, players, fans and Jewish groups, but Berlusconi leapt to his defence on Tuesday saying the 37-year-old player was simply misunderstood.
“Di Canio is an exhibitionist. His salute didn’t have any significance,” Berlusconi told a group of foreign reporters. “He’s a good lad,” added the prime minister, who owns Serie A team AC Milan.
Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s governing body FIFA, said players making fascist salutes should be banned from the game for life.
Di Canio himself has defended his gesture, which he has made at at least three Serie A matches this year, saying it was not intended as a political statement and that he would continue to acknowledge his fans in whatever way he chooses. Lazio fans are known for their hard-right sympathies. – Reuters
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2005/12/22/sports/12931861&sec=sports
Di Canio may be banned over salute
By Jeremy Last - AFP Updated: 18/Dec/2005
"..... Speaking in Tokyo on Friday the International football federation president (FIFA) Sepp Blatter said his organization has been compiling a dossier on Di Canio and the Italian could be banned from football over his actions. “We now have this item in our files," Blatter said. "My reaction is that we have to be very tough against all discrimination in our game. I cannot make an assessment of fact on Di Canio yet as I only know what has been reported. But in such cases we must also exclude players from our family.” Lazio is seen as a right wing club and it was fined 8,000 Euros by the Italian football federation after its fans displayed swastikas at the match against Livorno....
Jewish groups have expressed their concern over the issue. Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra he believes the widespread usage of the salute could lead to anti-Semitism. “It's a symptom of the infection that unfortunately is widespread in European soccer, which is too tolerant of excess and violence. This is fertile ground for worrying anti-Semitic displays," Foxman said. Fini’s defence But prominent Italian personalities have spoken in defence of Di Canio.
Daniela Fini, the wife of Italy’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Gianfranco Fini, said she believed Di Canio was the victim of media bias against the right wing. “It should be his own affair, but every time it happens it becomes a matter of state,” said Fini, who is a well known supporter of Lazio. “He turned to his people by instinct, it's what he felt like doing, it wasn't a provocation,” she told Corriere della Sera.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/western_europe/4723
Di Canio 'fascist but not racist' - BBC
"....Di Canio will contest a one-match ban for the salute, made against Juventus on Saturday, and he told Ansa news agency: "I am a fascist, not a racist. "I made the Roman salute because it's a salute from a comrade to his comrades and was meant for my people. "With this stiff arm I do no want to incite violence or racial hatred." http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4544008.stm
Defiant Di Canio defends fascist salute 'I will continue to salute them in this way' Staff and agenciesTuesday December 13, 2005
Paolo Di Canio has attempted to justify making a fascist, raised arm salute after Lazio's weekend defeat at Livorno, although his club today appeared to be distancing themselves from the incident.
The gesture occurred as Di Canio walked off the field at the final whistle, under grandstands containing Lazio supporters. "I saluted my people with what for me is a sign of belonging to a group that holds true values, values of civility against the standardisation that this society imposes upon us," he said. "I'm proud to be able to count on such people and I will continue to salute them in this way."
The game in Livorno was played in a particularly unpleasant atmosphere; home fans chanted anti-fascist songs while the visitors held up a swastika. It is not the first time Di Canio has made the gesture. He was fined 10,000 euros for doing the same at the end of Lazio's win over arch-rivals Roma in January.
Italian football authorities have not taken action over the latest incident, but if they do, Di Canio believes his club will back him. "I expect a robust defence from my club and this time I'm not going to settle for anything less. I expect my president to defend me, just like presidents do in other clubs, otherwise I'm going to be really pissed off," he said.
However, the club today appeared to distance themselves from the gesture. "Lazio repudiates any kind of racism or politicisation of football, both on the pitch and off it, and invites its shareholders and its fans to react against any attempt to pollute the language of sport," read a statement on its website.
Di Canio's gesture caused particular outrage amongst Jewish groups in Italy, with the president of the Italian Maccabi Federation, Vittorio Pavoncello, calling on Lazio and the authorities to take action. But the player brushed their protests aside.
"If we are in the hand of the Jewish community it's the end," Di Canio said. "If action is taken because one community is up in arms it could be dangerous."
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1666417,00.html
Di Canio a good lad and not a fascist, says Italian PM
ROME: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied suggestions that Paolo Di Canio was a fascist, saying the Lazio striker was simply an exhibitionist.
Di Canio was banned for one game on Monday and fined 10,000 euros (US$12,000) for making a raised-arm, fascist-style salute in a Serie A match at the weekend.
His gesture has been widely condemned by politicians, players, fans and Jewish groups, but Berlusconi leapt to his defence on Tuesday saying the 37-year-old player was simply misunderstood.
“Di Canio is an exhibitionist. His salute didn’t have any significance,” Berlusconi told a group of foreign reporters. “He’s a good lad,” added the prime minister, who owns Serie A team AC Milan.
Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s governing body FIFA, said players making fascist salutes should be banned from the game for life.
Di Canio himself has defended his gesture, which he has made at at least three Serie A matches this year, saying it was not intended as a political statement and that he would continue to acknowledge his fans in whatever way he chooses. Lazio fans are known for their hard-right sympathies. – Reuters
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2005/12/22/sports/12931861&sec=sports
Di Canio may be banned over salute
By Jeremy Last - AFP Updated: 18/Dec/2005
"..... Speaking in Tokyo on Friday the International football federation president (FIFA) Sepp Blatter said his organization has been compiling a dossier on Di Canio and the Italian could be banned from football over his actions. “We now have this item in our files," Blatter said. "My reaction is that we have to be very tough against all discrimination in our game. I cannot make an assessment of fact on Di Canio yet as I only know what has been reported. But in such cases we must also exclude players from our family.” Lazio is seen as a right wing club and it was fined 8,000 Euros by the Italian football federation after its fans displayed swastikas at the match against Livorno....
Jewish groups have expressed their concern over the issue. Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra he believes the widespread usage of the salute could lead to anti-Semitism. “It's a symptom of the infection that unfortunately is widespread in European soccer, which is too tolerant of excess and violence. This is fertile ground for worrying anti-Semitic displays," Foxman said. Fini’s defence But prominent Italian personalities have spoken in defence of Di Canio.
Daniela Fini, the wife of Italy’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Gianfranco Fini, said she believed Di Canio was the victim of media bias against the right wing. “It should be his own affair, but every time it happens it becomes a matter of state,” said Fini, who is a well known supporter of Lazio. “He turned to his people by instinct, it's what he felt like doing, it wasn't a provocation,” she told Corriere della Sera.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/western_europe/4723
