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| Paolo Di Canio insists he does not support 'the ideology of fascism' | Paolo Di Canio insists he does not support 'the ideology of fascism' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Paolo Di Canio has attacked what he called the "vicious and personal accusations" made against him since he took the Sunderland job, denying he is racist and insisting: "I do not support the ideology of fascism." | |
| Di Canio's appointment to the role prompted a wave of criticism. The former foreign secretary David Miliband resigned as Sunderland's vice-chairman, and the Durham Miners' Association wrote to the club to attack the decision as an insult to those from the north-east who fought and died fighting fascism. | |
| Di Canio refused to confirm or deny whether he was a fascist at a news conference on Tuesday but has previously stated he is "a fascist but not a racist". He has also been pictured giving a fascist salute to Lazio ultras and photographed attending the funeral of a leading Italian fascist. | Di Canio refused to confirm or deny whether he was a fascist at a news conference on Tuesday but has previously stated he is "a fascist but not a racist". He has also been pictured giving a fascist salute to Lazio ultras and photographed attending the funeral of a leading Italian fascist. |
| However, in a statement on Sunderland's website, Di Canio said: "I have clearly stated that I do not wish to speak about matters other than football, however, I have been deeply hurt by the attacks on the football club. | However, in a statement on Sunderland's website, Di Canio said: "I have clearly stated that I do not wish to speak about matters other than football, however, I have been deeply hurt by the attacks on the football club. |
| "This is a historic, proud and ethical club and to read and hear some of the vicious and personal accusations is painful. I am an honest man, my values and principles come from my family and my upbringing. | "This is a historic, proud and ethical club and to read and hear some of the vicious and personal accusations is painful. I am an honest man, my values and principles come from my family and my upbringing. |
| "I feel that I should not have to continually justify myself to people who do not understand this, however I will say one thing only – I am not the man that some people like to portray. I am not political, I do not affiliate myself to any organisation, I am not a racist and I do not support the ideology of fascism. I respect everyone. | "I feel that I should not have to continually justify myself to people who do not understand this, however I will say one thing only – I am not the man that some people like to portray. I am not political, I do not affiliate myself to any organisation, I am not a racist and I do not support the ideology of fascism. I respect everyone. |
| "I am a football man and this and my family are my focus. Now I will speak only of football." | |
| Earlier on Wednesday the dean of Durham had increased the pressure on Di Canio to make a statement, calling on Sunderland's new manager to renounce fascism publicly or risk being associated with "toxic far-right tendencies". | |
| The Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, a Sunderland supporter and the son of a Jewish war refugee, said he was struggling to stay loyal to the club and that he found Di Canio's previous "self-confessed fascism deeply troubling". | |
| In his open letter to Di Canio, the dean of Durham wrote: "Fascism was nearly the undoing of the world. It cost millions of innocent lives. Mussolini, who you say has been deeply misunderstood, openly colluded with it. You are said to wear a tattoo DUX which speaks for itself. This all adds up to what I find baffling. | |
| "You say that you are not a racist, but it needs great sophistication to understand how fascism and racism are ultimately different. I can promise you that this distinction will be lost on the people of the North East where the British National Party is finding fertile ground in which to sow the seeds of its pernicious and poisonous doctrine. | |
| "You did not necessarily know this before you came. But I believe that unless you clearly renounce fascism in all its manifestations, you will be associated with these toxic far-right tendencies we have seen too much of in this region." |