Di Canio Gives Fascist Salute

[fineintent]

Di Canio investigated for 'fascist salute'

Lazio captain Paolo Di Canio is to face an official inquiry by the Italian football authorities after appearing to make a fascist salute towards supporters of his team after last Thursday's Rome derby.

"It was only to celebrate," said the former West Ham and Celtic striker, "I am a professional and my manner of celebrating has nothing to do with politics."

Di Canio, who wears a tattoo of the late fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, scored the first goal during a 3-1 win over Roma and was seen giving the straight arm 'Roman' salute to Lazio fans at the north end of the stadium. While the player denies any political significance to his gesture, Alessandra Floriani, Mussolini's granddaughter and now a right-wing politician, said: "How nice that Roman salute was. It delighted me so much. I shall write him a thank-you note."

Less impressed was centre-left politician Enzo Foschi, who said yesterday: "That salute cannot pass without comment. It gives legitimacy to fascism, a murderous and tyrannical ideology. I take my cap off to Di Canio the footballer, but Di Canio the fascist is a discrage."

Source - the Sunday Times

Edited January 9, 2005 by fineintent

[RawIsWar]

Seems alot like the JBL Nazi salute, upsetting alot of people

[fineintent]

Seems alot like the JBL Nazi salute, upsetting alot of people

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[TMM]

Seems alot like the JBL Nazi salute, upsetting alot of people

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Except JBL doesn't have a tattoo of a fascist dictator, nor can Di Canio claim to be "in character".

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He could...football's all fake you know.

[Guest MystikalityIX]

I'd hate to be on Lazio's Public Relations team round about now.

[Liam]

Lazio always seem to be in fucking trouble. The PR team probably do more work than the rest of the team!

[lanky316]

Thats odd, I was watching it live and never saw anything :\

Fact is he could kill his career for the third time if it is true though...

[Farmer Reil]

Heh, anyone else find it funny that DiCanio thinks of himself as a professional?

[Emperor Fuckshit]

The Italians won't care about this, it'll be forgotten in a week or so. Ot would be a big deal elsewhere in Europe, but in Italy...not so much.

[botchedpiledriver]

Bosnich's salute > Di Canio's salute.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I see it, like I've said before though I couldn't care what happens away from the pitch. He did it after he got taken of.

I cant moan anyway, I think the guy is awesome

[Pander Opiate]

What kind of person has a Mussolini tattoo? Mussolini wasn't exacty a monster or anything like Hitler but he just didn't really do anything worth rememebering or celebrating even if you are a fascist.

[Guest Ringmaster]

From what I gather, to many Italians, Mussolini isn't necessarily a symbol for fascism, they just see him as some deeply charismatic leader who led things his way, until he was influenced by Hitler. Basically, for them, it's the same situation now, just replace Mussolini with Berlusconi, and Hitler with Bush .

This is probably why Di Canio's gesture isn't really gonna get mentioned a lot in Italy, while over here, the football channels seem to mention it on a daily basis.

[The Kraig]

I knew it! Only the devil plays for Celtic! (¬_¬)

...

Edited January 14, 2005 by The Kraig

[lanky316]

It makes you laugh really. The French are ridiculed having never surrendered following 112 years of constant warfare while Italians surrender on a daily basis during six years under Mussolini. Nothing.

[The Third Dukes]

For sale: Vintage Italian guns. Never fired. Dropped twice.

Happy now?

[lanky316]

Yes, yes I am.