Former Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet spoke to The Times about his former manager Paolo Di Canio.
The Italian took over the Sunderland job from Martin O’Neill back in March 2013 when the Black Cats were in some trouble.
Mignolet remembers the time when Di Canio first showed up at the training base and it is safe to say that he wasn’t impressed.
“Paolo went mad when he first saw the players’ buffet, full of grease. He shouted in his funny English with a heavy Italian accent: ‘What is this? What is this? Is this a wedding?’ It was hilarious,” Mignolet said.
Di Canio managed to help Sunderland survive that season and the change in the players’ buffet could well have played a part.
That didn’t last very long though. Sunderland failed to win any of their first five games in the Premier League in the following campaign and the Italian was sacked as a result.
Di Canio has since been without a job but stories about his antics on and off the pitch amuse to this day.
Mignolet moved on to Liverpool at the end of Di Canio’s first season at the club. The Belgian went on to win a Champions League medal with the Reds but his former club haven’t quite had the same luck.
Sunderland are currently seventh in League One and only a miracle will see them return to the Premier League any time soon.
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