EXCLUSIVE: Night raider Paolo! Swindon change locks after former manager Di Canio storms office
Swindon Town have been forced to change the locks at the County Ground after Paolo Di Canio stole into the manager’s office under darkness and caused damage by tearing down pictures of his successful reign at the club. The Italian entered the stadium in the early hours on Thursday, using keys he had kept after resigning on Monday. He was driven by a desire to retrieve mementos of his 21 months in charge.
Accompanied by at least one member of his backroom team, Di Canio was caught on CCTV entering his old office and removing the photographs from the walls in what evidence suggests was a forceful fashion.
CCTV footage was viewed on Thursday by the League One leaders and Di Canio’s visit discovered — prompting a change of codes on the stadium entrance and replacing the door locks in the office builiding to prevent any repeat. The matter has not been passed to police and, while the club would not comment on Thursday night, officials have decided not to take further action. The eccentric Di Canio announced he would leave Swindon on Monday evening after falling out with the board over the sale of star winger Matt Ritchie. He cited a ‘number of broken promises made by the club’. Less than 24 hours later, Swindon won 3-1 at Tranmere under assistant Fabrizio Piccareta to go top of the table, but he also resigned at full time, along with goalkeeping coach Domenico Doardo, fitness coach Claudio Donatelli and first-team masseur Giulio Viscardi.
Di Canio’s spokesman Phil Spencer on Thursday declined to comment about his man’s late-night call at the County Ground. Di Canio himself released a statement accusing the club of being ‘disrespectful’ after outgoing chairman Sir William Patey said the manager had ‘walked out on the players’.
Di Canio said: ‘The club have still not responded to my letter of resignation of February 12, but instead have put out a wholly misleading version of events in their statement.’
Despite masterminding promotion from League Two as champions and a run to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final, he frequently clashed with players and the club hierarchy. In August 2011, he was caught on camera scuffling with striker Leon Clarke after the team had been knocked out of the Carling Cup by Southampton and last September he launched a remarkable verbal attack on goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, having substituted him 21 minutes into a game against Preston.
