SoccerAll in the Game

Martin O’Neill keeps long-running feud with Paolo Di Canio alive

Two former Sunderland managers have never seen eye to eye

Paolo Di Canio: the former Sunderland manager questioned the players' fitness levels after taking over from Martin O'Neill. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

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Mary Hannigan
Mon Apr 8 2024 - 06:00
O’Neill’s long memory

One of football’s longer running feuds down the years was between Martin O’Neill and Paolo Di Canio after the Italian succeeded the Derry man as Sunderland manager back in 2013. O’Neill took grave exception to Di Canio claiming that he inherited an unfit squad, describing him as “a charlatan”.

“I don’t know if he knows the meaning of this word charlatan,” Di Canio replied. “Probably I can teach him, even if I am not English. What he said proves what kind of level he is. He is not very big. A charlatan is a manager who spends £40 million to be a top 10 club and then sees the club sink into the relegation zone.”

And then O’Neill, having been appointed Republic of Ireland manager, mocked Di Canio’s decision to ban his Sunderland players, including his captain John O’Shea, from using mayonnaise and ketchup. “I’m hoping at some stage that John asks me at dinner to pass him the tomato sauce and I will dispose of it immediately. But then if I feel you can’t win games without tomato sauce I will empty it on his plate, with the chips.”

And a whole nine years later, O’Neill saluted Di Canio once again: “A really fine footballer. Terrific. What he knew about management, you could box in a thimble.”

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Was that the end of it? Not quite. Last week, when O’Neill chatted with TalkSport: “Di Canio was a brilliant, brilliant player, but couldn’t manage a fish supper at the end of the day.” He’s a long memory, that man.

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Word of mouth

“I was trying to tell the referee that I don’t think you can be booked for time wasting if you’re losing.” — A bemused Courtney Brosnan after picking up a yellow card for time-wasting . . . when Ireland trailed France by a goal. The ref begged to differ.

“How can you not love a boy like him? He’s incredible, he’s educated in the best possible way, he’s really polite, confident, funny, smart and an incredible footballer. Oh my God! Of course, I love him.”

Jurgen Klopp stopping just short of proposing to Alexis Mac Allister.

“We are Chelsea, but we need to behave like Chelsea. That was why I was upset after Burnley. Chasing a Burnley player like they are a Manchester United player, or a Real Madrid player! We are Chelsea.”

Mauricio Pochettino won’t be getting a warm welcome at Turf Moor any time soon.

Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is yellow carded by referee Maria Caputi for time wasting against France. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

QPR’s Jude the Cat ‘neutered’

Sacking of the Week: That would be QPR’s decision to dispense with the services of their mascot Jude the Cat after he failed to heed repeated warnings to stop flirting with female supporters. The Sun reported this news on April 5th and not the first, so we’re presuming it’s true.

“He had the smoothest moves in the league but, unfortunately, he was a bit of a smooth talker too,” a “source” told the paper. “Several people complained that he was trying it on with the ladies more than cheering on the lads on the pitch. He would always be dancing with them and then trying to get them to give him their number. Jude was warned but he couldn’t help himself and the club had no choice.”

As The Sun concluded, poor old Jude has been, eh, “neutered”.

In words

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that.”

Manchester City fans in the direction of the Aston Villa faithful on Wednesday night. Presumably they were all born after 1982.

In numbers

140 — That’s how old Stenhousemuir are – and on Saturday they won their first ever league title when they were confirmed as League 2 champions. Remember, there’s always hope.

Ally McCoist: expected the usual fevered atmosphere at Ibrox Park for the Glasgow Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

More word of mouth

“This is going to sound really bizarre, but I don’t think Arsenal are good enough to win the title. And I say that with respect. It’s sort of like Seb Coe versus Steve Ovett versus Steve Cram. They’re going into the final stretch, but there’s only two possible winners. It’s a two-horse race”

Liverpool and Manchester City old boy David James predicting that Arsenal will fall at the final hurdle.

“I’d like to have a joystick and put them where I want, but it doesn’t work that way.”

Ange Postecoglou, wishing he’d a little bit more control over his Spurs players.

“I can guarantee you, on Sunday at Ibrox, I, along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill. Everybody with two brain cells in their head knows it’s madness.”

Ally McCoist on his plans to break Scotland’s new hate crime law. It’s probably as well he wasn’t able to make it to the game in the end, otherwise he might now be in the slammer.

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