Paolo Di Canio was sacked by Sunderland on
Sunday night after festering resentments among his players came to a head at an
ill-tempered training-ground meeting on Sunday morning.
Di Canio, whose team had taken
only one point from the season's opening five league fixtures, called the
meeting to analyse the previous day's 3-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. When
the manager criticised his players, he was answered back forcefully, with Lee
Cattermole, the midfielder he stripped of the captaincy, believed to have told
him the squad had lost faith in his controversial methods.
When details of the row were
relayed to Ellis Short, Sunderland's owner, Di Canio's time was up. The
Italian, noted for scathing public deconstructions of players, has gone less
than six months after succeeding Martin O'Neill and after only 13 matches.
It is not thought that Short
has a replacement lined up but considerable speculation surrounds the
availability of Roberto Di Matteo and Gus Poyet.
"Sunderland AFC confirms
that it has parted company with head coach Paolo Di Canio this evening,"
read a club statement. "Kevin Ball will take charge of the squad ahead of
Tuesday night's Capital One Cup game against Peterborough and an announcement
will be made in due course regarding a permanent successor. The club would like
to place on record its thanks to Paolo and his staff and wishes them well for
the future."
Ball, the youth team coach, and
an abrasive former Sunderland midfielder of the type Di Canio urgently
required, is not likely to be in post for long. Short is expected to move
swiftly, with Di Matteo, the former West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea manager,
and Poyet, until recently in charge of Brighton, among the favourites. Roberto
Mancini, out of work after leaving Manchester City, has previously expressed
interest in the job but would probably be beyond Sunderland's budget. Meanwhile
Steve McClaren, currently helping Harry Redknapp coach Queens Park Rangers, ranks
as an outsider.
Di Canio can count himself
unlucky after being asked to incorporate 14 summer signings made by Roberto De
Fanti, the club's director of football. Of those recruits 13 were foreign and
only five had previous Premier League experience.
Their failure to communicate
properly forfeited a series of goals – and points – at set pieces, with the
former Swindon manager's willingness to highlight players' errors in public
drawing widespread criticism.
Di Canio was adamant that,
given time, his bold attacking game plans – 4-2-4 was the favoured formation –
would pay dividends and his strict new disciplinary regime would transform
Sunderland's fortunes.
Short disagreed but how the
Italian must rue his board's failure to bow to repeated requests to sign Tom
Huddlestone from Tottenham last month. Instead the powerful midfielder is
shining at Hull.
Di Canio's successor faces a
considerable challenge as he endeavours to repair shattered morale and steer
Sunderland clear of relegation waters.
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