Di Canio: Stroke Of Genius Or Disaster Waiting To Happen?

After slipping indignantly out of League One little over three weeks ago, Swindon Town were at their lowest ebb.

Relegated without a win at home in 2011, it was a sad demise for a side that little over 12 months ago was just one game away from the Championship.

When Jeremy Wray took over as interim chairman after Andrew Fitton stepped down, the businessman was faced with the unenviable task of leading the search for a manager capable of galvanising the club and creating a side capable of promotion at the first attempt next season.

A long and careful interview and selection process finally came to an end yesterday with the appointment of Paolo Di Canio – Wray’s number one target from the moment the Italian made his interest known.

Given the nature of his profile, it is of little surprise that his imminent arrival at Swindon has caused something of a stir in both the media and among all fans of football, and will continue to do so in the coming days.

One thing that football supporters value above all else is passion and commitment, and Di Canio certainly had both of those in abundance as a player.


The 42-year-old was one of the most gifted footballers ever to grace the Premier League and is idolised by the fans of the clubs he has played for.

As is the case with most people, Di Canio has matured as he has got older and has already been backed to go far in management by one of the most respected names in English football, his former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp.



Di Canio is presented to the media

He may not succeed, that is the risk every club takes when appointing a rookie manager, but as per the gambling code, the bigger the risk, the greater the reward. He is clearly ambitious and knows all too well that failure to achieve something with Swindon will push his long-term goal of managing his beloved West Ham further away. 



But for now these are exciting times for the Robins, and if he can instil even a small amount of the passion and commitment he had as a player into the Swindon squad this coming season then he will have been a success. Whether he is successful or not, the game in England is more colourful with him involved and Robins fans should prepare for a tenure that is unlikely to go by without incident - positive or otherwise.