In an exclusive interview with FootItalia, West Ham and Lazio legend Paolo Di Canio speaks on why Mo Salah should win the Ballon d’Or and reveals why Declan Rice would be his dream signing. The ex-Sunderland boss also admits he could return to the dugout sooner rather than later…
Intro
Q: How are you Paolo?
A: It’s a pleasure for me to be here because every time I come back to England. I feel at home. It is my second home. Obviously, I have my daughters who live in London, so I get these opportunities to come to England often. So I never forget my experience here because eight years as a football player and three years as a manager.
So 11 years is an important part of my life. So every time I come back I receive a warm welcome. So I always enjoy being here. I had the chance to go to the West Ham training ground and I was speaking to Graham Potter, speaking about the future of our club. So it’s always a good experience and I feel at home.
On West Ham and Playing With Jarrod Bowen
Q: How do you feel West Ham moving from Upton Park to the London Stadium has affected the club?
A: Obviously, I couldn’t feel the difference, as a footballer because I played only at Upton Park. I know that the first two and a half years didn’t pay off at the Olympic stadium. But at the end of the day, we have to accept it because modern football needs more income for the club. 36,000 at Upton Park were amazing every match. But 60,000 makes a difference to compete and to try to stay at the top level. And West Ham proved that they were right because after 60 years we won the Conference League and it was a fantastic moment for everybody. If you have a chance to attract more quality and high level footballers, that is good for the club, for the supporters.
Obviously the atmosphere wasn’t really the same in the first two years. But now I have to tell you, because last season I came here to watch a few matches. And when the team play well, when there is a good atmosphere, you have 60,000 people singing our fantastic song and you can feel the passion in your body, in your shirt. And I think the footballers are very lucky to play in this stadium now with this amazing atmosphere. But even when the team are not playing so well, the supporters are amazing because they try to push the lads and the season when we won the conference league, the atmosphere became even more magic.
Q: How would you have liked to play with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus on each wing? Do you think you would’ve played well with them?
A: Would’ve been good if I had a chance to have the energy now, but yes because with them it’s easy, the modern footballer and football changes every 5, 6, 7 years, rules change. The science helps the football players’ performances and obviously football is not science, but science helps in some way. I saw them a few days ago and you can see their legs, their body. Before we used to work only to have more power, more resistance in the legs.
Not me, because I started already in Italy with AC Milan. They were the first club to adopt a different way to train to increase our power also in our upper body. Because the football changed and then you start to see a footballer at 190 with a big shoulder. Much wider and when you went to challenge them, you fly up to the stand. So we started already at AC Milan. But for me, it was easy when I moved to Celtic.
To keep going, work hard and put a few kilos more into my chest, into my shoulder to try and be more powerful on the field. But the modern footballer is an incredible outlet. You can see their shoulders, their chest when they throw away their shirts at the end of the game. They love to show their body. But they have a good proportion between the upper body to the legs. And before it wasn’t the same. And you can see that it’s different. But talking about what you are asking me. It would be easier for me because I was in a sort of orchestrator upfront. I was more of an assist man than goalscorer. I can imagine Bowen and Kudos now playing with Paqueta and the one-twos, that combination with me would be fantastic with our creativity and imagination.
Q: Did you ever get the chance to play against Millwall when you were at West Ham?
A: No, that would’ve been fantastic because obviously I didn’t mention the London Derby because there are so many. Obviously there are few that are more spicy than others. We know that the Millwall one is the best that you can have. Talking about the feeling, the atmosphere, the history. Unfortunately, I couldn’t play. But a few years after I left West Ham the draw happened. Zola was on the bench, he’s my friend. I used to watch at home. I was thinking how much I would like to be there as a footballer, because it’s nice, you know? Because you know that you can do something special, even if it is only for one match. But that match means a lot. That’s remembered forever for the supporters. But unfortunately I didn’t play this derby.
On Liverpool, Forest and Trent’s Move To Madrid
Q: How about Liverpool and Nottingham Forest?
A: So vertical. Quick. You can go with 1, 2, 3 passes like Liverpool. Liverpool is a good mixture. With Klopp they have done a fantastic job because they have a specific characteristic. Players with powerful, good quality, good delivery. Alexander-Arnold, 50 yards delivery pass. Salah killed the ball. One vs one quicker. So in three passes you are going towards the goal so why spend 10 minutes in 200 passes? It is a different way. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid always play vertical because with the top four players upfront, you give them the freedom to do what they want and it is easy. Good players when you need to defend, and then you think about to score a goal and create chances. But lots of clubs like Nottingham Forest. 4-4-1-1. With a typical old center forward. Wood can play, come back, hold the ball, pass the ball and attack the box.
But in another way, because now the modern footballer 195, they have more electricity, they have specific exercises in a training session. They have more mobility. It is not only the big ones. You can see they’re thin, but they can turn, twist. But we still talking about at a player that score in the box. Hold the ball. Pass the ball. Two fantastic wingers, talented players, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi that we know were talented a few years ago. Maybe they lost the right way to become a fantastic footballer, but in the right place with the right system. Come back around.
But also Nuno Espirito Santo was good because he had already had two experiences in England. Before Wolverhampton, then he tried Tottenham and it didn’t work. Now in England with this kind of play and quality, we can’t go all up front or play in the back 23, 25 passes in our box. Because it’s dangerous. So you have two centre back that are similar for the characteristic to the two that they won with Leicester. Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, if you think about Milenkovic and Murillo they look the same. They don’t spend too much time and play with it. They get the ball out. They’re tall and then midfield and play in a wide area, directly, Gibbs-White, go directly and go score a goal and then stay as a unit, strong and solid in the back. They deserve to be top four, because since the start they played this kind of football. It’s not all the time fashionable football and maybe a little boring football because when you can see play that go vertical, carry the ball, turn, twist, pass, one, two. Combination delivery towards the goal. Still refreshing. And many clubs are now combining and mixing the styles. And this year Man City proved that when you do something for a long period, and then you need to see a great future, you have to remember your roots and go back.
Q: You mentioned Trent Alexander-Arnold there, did it surprise you that he’s leaving Liverpool on a free transfer to go to Real Madrid?
A: I don’t wanna sound like the old jealous ex-footballer about that. It’s modern football, but also in my period there weren’t people with incredible loyalty because if they had a chance to move to a top club with three times wages, they would. But was more important to have the ambition to win titles with more titles for your career. It happened also in my period. In this situation, if he didn’t even try to have a contract the way he wanted, probably he wanted to try a new experience. Obviously I’m a romantic guy, you know? It would’ve been fantastic to hear that Real Madrid offered a three year contract, 20 million per year, but he stayed in Liverpool. Because, it reminds you that there’s still people with heart in some way. So don’t forget what Liverpool football club gave to him.
But I can’t blame him for this because when you move to Real Madrid it’s not only about being the top club in the world. You can win something every year at the top level. But you’re also gonna learn Spanish with the family. It’s a part of the culture that you can improve in maybe two, three years there and then back in England again with bags of experience for him, for his life because football finishes. In seven years, time as a protagonist on the field, we finish. And then keep what you did on the field, but what you had with experience hand to hand with your private life. It can be important for him probably. In Madrid, with players like Vini Jr, Rodyrgo, Bellingham, Mbappe it will be a great experience in this group of players.
Why Salah Should Win Ballon d’Or
Q: Do you think Salah deserves to win the Ballon D’Or this year? Or do you see another player ready to win it?
A: We know that you need to do something special in different competition and not only in the Premier League. From my point of view, if we stop the season now, of course there is no doubt for me, Salah would win the Ballon d’Or. Golden Ball, Salah easy. But there are still two months left of the season. Champions League, the national team. He also has the problem, well I don’t wanna say problem because he’s proud to be an Egypt player. But it depends on what you do with the national team, right? Euros, World Cup, different competitions. But Champions League makes a difference.
And sometimes, I feel that the people that judge and give their vote for the player every year are 52-48. Like last season Rodri, which is amazing. He really deserved the Ballon d’Or for me. But Vini Jr. was very close. But Rodri makes a difference. Completely different. I don’t wanna say that this season is very bad because Rodri is not on the field. But it’s not completely a coincidence because one player, don’t make a team, but makes a big part of the team. I can imagine the art of the game with this quality personality. Gimme the ball. I hold the ball. Usually City try not to drop back. But now the team drop back. Too often they don’t know how to defend when they run back often.
So great player. We know. Rodri is out now in a season where players haven’t flown far away from others and Salah deserves it more. But if Vinicius Junior now scores a goal in the Champions League semi final or final then plays the final. Then win even if he plays a bad game in the final. Just to repay the fans after they didn’t give him it in the past and maybe they’re gonna choose him, but to be honest, in this moment, Salah is the one.
On Lazio’s Europa League Run
Q: The club probably closest to your heart is Lazio but they’ve gone for quite a while without winning a trophy. They’re in the Europa League quarter finals against Bodo Glimt. Do you think this could be the year they end their trophy drought and win the Europa League?
A: There are teams that have ambition because of Tottenham but they need all the players in. They had a long period with 8, 7, 9 players out. Van de Ven and Romero were out for a long period. Even in the middle, there was Bentancur that we know was out for 7 games. They need a full hard working team with peak mental and physical health. Teams like this who were out for longer have more anger, are more fresh than the others. This can be critical.
Lazio have done an incredible job in the last six months. There are teams that can challenge this but we will see. They have a chance.
On Leaving Celtic And Not Getting To Play With Henrik Larsson
Q: Henrik Larsson arrived at Celtic just after you left the club. Do you ever wonder what you could’ve achieved if you had played together?
A: He came because I left. We were in similar positions. Celtic were lucky because he was an amazing footballer. It was a good change. That’s life, it happens. It was our destiny in some way. One door closes, a big gate opens. This is my mentality. He’s a footballer who would’ve been fantastic to play with because he was an incredible, high quality player. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I was happy to know that Celtic remained in good hands.
On Leaving Sheffield Wednesday
Q: Is it sad to you that Sheffield Wednesday never made it back to the Premier League? They were relegated a year after you left and 25 years later they’re still in the Championship and never made it back.
A: It makes me sad. The supporters were always amazing to me, I think because I always gave them my best and maximum effort. They recognised that and respect me for it.
When I left, and the way it happened, obviously they were happy at that time. This was because there was only one voice in the media telling the story. I tried to explain exactly what had happened because it wasn’t about anyone’s opinion. There was only one truth. The club scolded me and I said I understood this because I was banned for eleven matches. But after that, it was all in the newspapers and there were photographers outside my home everyday. I did my job as a professional because in any condition, I knew I needed to be fit and ready to come back. I felt it belonged to me and it had to be done right. Once someone called me, I would’ve been ready to show that I am a real professional. Nobody called… I used to call every week asking if I could come back to train. I used to ask Paulo to speak to them to help me get back. They always said it’s better if I waited some more. At the time, the chairman made an interview against me.
I defended myself without club solicitors–they didn’t give me anything. I had to bring in international solicitors. There is no other truth. Only one. And that is what happened. I loved to play for Sheffield Wednesday, I related myself to people I met every day, whether that was in the office or the dressing room. But I could not work next to them anymore. So unfortunately I had to leave otherwise I’d damage the club. I wouldn’t train happily, free and with maximum desire. It wouldn’t have been good for anyone.
Q: It was to West Ham’s benefit. After you left Wednesday, they signed you for £1.5 million–what a bargain.
A: What a bargain! Harry, he was crazy. Every newspaper said the same thing “No, Paolo is not good for us!”. But Harry always said I was a fantastic signing for West Ham and I was happy that after a few weeks there, everybody understood that he was right in signing me. He gave me a great opportunity and I will always thank him for that. Harry is a fantastic manager. He gave me the chance to play for an amazing, family club.
Who He Would Sign If He Returned To Management
Q: If you were a manager in the Premier League right now, who would be the player you would most like to sign?
There’s a few. Obviously it depends on what kind of system you want to adapt to your players. There’s some with wonderful intensity, passion, and pure talent. Declan Rice, for me, every time. He is a pure leader. He is one of the best midfielders in the world because he’s not elegant like many others. He doesn’t need to be captain to be a strong leader. The way he behaves is great. He’s a leader by example–whether that be in training or international teams. Nobody wants a bad story to come out, you know. It can happen when they go out to parties or whatever. He appears different to other British players. You can see it clearly that he has got ambitions to become the best like Lampard was for many years and Bellingham now – who’s pure talent obviously.
But Rice, in the middle, and away child. 187, good physically, very strong. It’s so difficult for him to get injured because he’s got pure energy in his body, his muscles are perfect, and his elasticity is powerful. He is a fantastic footballer. I would pick him as a midfielder for sure. Kevin De Bruyne but not in the two recent years. He’s had many injuries. If I could have De Bruyne three years ago, that’d be a choice for sure. Rhodri, then obviously Salah. There are many.
Q: In terms of your career looking forward, have you had any offers to come back into the game such as the Saudi pro league? Would you be interested?
A: I’ve been doing some work still. I do Italian Sky. It’s obviously difficult to go back into the dugout after television, and I’m a realistic guy. Even if I look 45 and try to keep fit, it’s not easy. I like to coach on the field. I had the chance in the last few years but for a different label. I didn’t accept it. In my opinion I wasn’t in the right environment to accept it because I didn’t want to go only in the Premier League, but the Championship. I’m a winner. I want to compete to win.
It didn’t happen in those clubs so I decided to keep going with television. In some ways, it’s a different satisfaction because you are no real protagonist, but in some ways it gives you satisfaction when the people meet you and get to deliver knowledge. That is my life. Never say never. I still keep fit, myself. Maybe one day. I’m ready any time.
