Di Canio plays down hotel “brawl”
SUNDERLAND manager Paolo Di Canio downplayed an early-morning altercation with drunk Southampton fans at the team hotel.
Talk in the build-up to the clash at St Mary’s revolved around reports of a mass brawl at the Black Cats’ hotel.
“We heard loud people shouting. I can’t repeat any of it. Obviously their behaviour showed they were Southampton fans,” the Italian said.
“Once we walked inside the lift they arrived in front of the lift and started recording with their mobile phone.
“We tried to push the third floor button and they tried to stop and kept going.
“At that moment, they weren’t really aggressive but we said ‘stop, we must go now, let us go’.
“We tried to say stop and push them away and they started to open the door so we said ‘now we call the police’.
“They didn’t try to punch us in a clear way but they moved their hands and we stopped them, blocked them.
“I asked for the police because it wasn’t fair that people inside the hotel attack, verbally and physically, members of my staff. It wasn’t fair. It was a stupid moment from silly guys under effect of alcohol.
“At the end, there was a fun a moment. They said ‘we are going to win, Rickie Lambert is going to score’ and Fabrizio [Piccareta, Sunderland assistant manager] said ‘no, tomorrow we’re going to win’. It finished like this.