A biography for Paolo di Caniohasn’t been written yet.
“I love Swindon. OK, it's not a place where you can almost smell the history, like Rome or Florence. It's an industrial town. That may not seem 'cool' to some people, but it only makes me love Swindon more.”
“I am a fascist, not a racist.”
“We have to leave the field, not only sweating, but also full of blood. That was my philosophy as a player, and I want to deliver it as a manager.”
“When I watch the Premier League I am always proud to see players that were young boys when I was at West Ham - I'm talking about Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Trevor Sinclair.”
“With Eriksen at Tottenham he had the chance to lose dangerous balls because there were those who ran for him, at Inter they can't afford that. He doesn't jump the opponent in one-on-one fights, he doesn't have speed in his legs.”
“Some footballers are lazy and less disciplined and do crazy things.”
“It's important players and people around them have concentration and purpose.”
“People say managing in the Premier League is different, but I don't know what university of football management they went to in order to say that.”
“For sure, my character will never change.”
“I love England. I love the country and I love the people.”
“People can change.”
“Eriksen will become a problem for Conte. He is not like Diego Costa, with whom you can fight if you don't let him play. He is a guy like Hazard: he is silent, you don't see him much, he never complains, but it is difficult to have a direct and frank confrontation.”
“Players need to fight for the shirt - go out on that pitch ready to sweat and shed blood for the club.”
“Football is my breath.”
“I remember that Ferguson saw me and he went out from the coach and shouted 'Paolo Paolo' and he came to me and said 'how are you?' It was another incredible moment for me. He meets thousand people and to say how are you that gave me another dimension of the man and values of him as a person and his respect for people.”
“A football pitch is the same whatever the level.”
“I am a football man and this and my family are my focus.”
“Balotelli is just selfish. He deserves a lot of slaps.”
“You would go and play away in the south of Italy and there were Mafia people with their guns, it could be dangerous, I played in very bad areas - only the passion can push you on.”
“When I scored against United it was very exciting to look around and see 9,000 people celebrating away from home.”