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Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio gestures to the Sunderland fans yesterday. Martin Rickett/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Sunderland 'part company' with Paolo Di Canio

The Black Cats are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.

AFTER LESS THAN seven months in charge, the Paolo Di Canio experiment in Sunderland is over.

In a statement Sunday evening the club announced that it had ‘parted company’ with the controversial Italian with immediate effect.

It continued:

“Kevin Ball will take charge of the squad ahead of Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup game against Peterborough United and an announcement will be made in due course regarding a permanent successor.

“The club would like to place on record its thanks to Paolo and his staff and wishes them well for the future.”

Di Canio took charge of the Black Cats at the end of March this year following Martin O’Neill’s dismissal and secured their Premier League survival with a game to play.

However, the club have only managed one point from five games this year, scoring just three goals in the process. The move to part ways with the Italian comes after he was involved in this bizarre altercation with Sunderland fans following their 3-0 defeat to West Brom yesterday:

YouTube: MrBeanyman62

5 talking points from today’s Premier League action

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    Mute Padraig Stapleton
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 9:51 PM

    Paolo Di Canio. A dedicated follower of fascism.

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    Mute Michael Roughan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:42 PM

    Utd would want to sign him quick

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    Mute James O'Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:18 PM

    Mad as a box of frogs

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    Mute Colm Coughlan
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 7:51 AM

    Bit harsh on the frogs, he is worse

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    Mute Eamonn McCarthy
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:03 PM

    No great surprise, a bluffer if ever there was one.

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    Mute Marty O' Neill
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:30 PM

    About as good a manager as Roy Keane!

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    Mute barrywhite
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:43 PM

    Stupidest comment of the week goes to you Marty

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    Mute Karol Doran
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:50 PM

    He’s right. Keane is a shite manager. That’s why he’s a pundit now.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:03 PM

    He lost the dressing room in Sunderland and Ipswich. Not good managing.

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    Mute barrywhite
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:18 PM

    Keane took a struggling team and promoted them , you can’t compare the two , that’s just being a typical ABU ASS

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    Mute Karol Doran
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:23 PM

    I support Man Utd.

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    Mute barrywhite
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 12:24 AM

    I know you do Karol I was talking to the others

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    Mute Adam Robért Hough
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 12:35 AM

    Paolo did the exact same thing at Swindon. Turned them into decent L1 contenders.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 1:59 AM

    Yeah, Roy Keane!

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    Mute Richard Fennelly
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 7:24 AM

    Barry i think keano might be an abu these days

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 7:46 AM

    Both did very well initially on the strength of their character and were then copped into. Di Canio slapping players on the head, both losing the head. Both are not capable of managing premier teams – as proved. We all know di Canio did very well at Swindon and Keane did well at Sunderland and fair play to Sunderland for giving them a go. And fair play to Sunderland for realising their mistake so soon with PDC.

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    Mute Shanklys LFC Forum
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:27 PM

    Far too early! 5 games into a season, they got to give managers a chance even if they are kinda eccentric!

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    Mute John Hayes
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:30 PM

    Steady fella the job is way too big for the man. Way too eccentric for any premier league team his niche was league 1 leave him there.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:44 PM

    Best own up to your mistake and sort it now than waiting any longer. The man is mad and il twittioni grandzioni and it probably would have got worse.

    Martin ONeill to be brought back – that’s why he is stalling the Ireland job ;)

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    Mute Chris Tobin
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:08 PM

    It was inevitable , he upset everyone

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    Mute Bad Lieutenant
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:53 PM

    He made John O’Shea cry.

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    Mute James O'Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:02 PM

    Maybe he could be the next manager of Manchester Utd?

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    Mute Adrian O'Donnell
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:51 PM

    There’s a vacancy at the FAI. Shudder…

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    Mute Adam Power
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 10:01 AM

    One crazy Italian is plenty.

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    Mute kieran lynch
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:56 PM

    Blamed the players for everything, sorry Paulo but you pick them.

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    Mute Maeve McQuillan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:12 PM

    “I knew that they were furious. I went to them because I wanted to see their faces. It’s easy to go over when they’re clapping or singing your name. I’m responsible but my head is up. I won’t give up.

    He took full responsibility for the team’s failures. He also did a great job at Swindon. He renounced fascism completely and utterly. I think he’ll be back – maybe at a lower level.

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    Mute Séamus Ó Lochlainn
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 9:20 PM

    No, he blamed on average one player each defeat. He signed 14 random players and sold some of his potential best. He had no idea what he was doing and in the end looked like a tit. Delighted.
    Only would have preferred him to stay on and go down with Sunderland, ideally Villa sending them down after him gesturing to the fans last year.
    Good riddance.

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    Mute John Deane
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 9:56 PM

    I never liked Di Canio. Good riddance

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    Mute Paul Madigan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:13 PM

    Surprised he lasted this long

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    Mute Eamonn coughlan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:33 PM

    Sunderland are always destined for failure fergie himself couldn’t do anything with them, he was mad but firing him after 5 games is not fair especially after bringing in so many players and saving them from relegation

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    Mute Stuart O'Connor
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:41 PM

    Magician of a player but belongs at the table of the mad Hatter and Co.

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:50 PM

    His behaviour yesterday was straight off the bonkers shelf

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    Mute Karol Doran
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:49 PM

    Don’t rate him, never have, but to be sacked already is just plain stupid.

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    Mute Maeve McQuillan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:18 PM

    How could you have ‘never’ rated him as a manager? He managed one other team – Swindon. Swindon were losing finalists of the FA Trophy and were promoted.

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    Mute Karol Doran
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:24 PM

    That doesn’t mean he can mange at the top level. Hence my not rating him.

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    Mute ciaran
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:49 PM

    I hear he is in poll position to get the Irish job

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 6:57 AM

    Manuella mightn’t be out of a job just yet then…….

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    Mute Neil O'Reilly
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 1:44 AM

    Always have much respect for the way he kicked the ball out instead of scoring when Everton’s keeper was injured. Bit crazy but should have been given more time.

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    Mute Stephen MacMahon
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:10 PM

    Who is there out to bring in?

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    Mute Sacha Mahady
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:18 PM

    Giovanni trappatonni.

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    Mute James O'Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:21 PM

    Stan “I’m da gaffer” Staunton

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    Mute James Copeland
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 10:27 PM

    Roberto Di Matteo is tipped for it.. To be honest when PDC was announced I thought they meant him!

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    Mute Peter Ryan
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:07 PM

    Perfect job for that chancer Trap

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    Mute Padriag O'Traged
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    Sep 22nd 2013, 11:32 PM

    No way, Trap has a track record of not being able to perform miracles with a bunch of second rate players, and he also has live up to completely unrealistic fans expectations.

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    Mute Joe McNulty
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 12:01 AM

    Paolo Di Canio, was always destined to fail considering his eccentric nature, coupled with managing probably one of the biggest yoyo clubs in premier league history, it was always going to be tough. Managing a premier league club requires an immense level of professionalism and this is something he never possessed as a player, o,r as we see here a manager, he’s still one of my favorite players of all time though !!!!

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    Mute Paul Sheehan
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 1:29 AM

    Mad as a shithouse rat

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    Mute Brian Gallagher
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 12:17 AM

    Hahaha… Good!

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    Mute Michael cunnane
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    Sep 23rd 2013, 7:27 AM

    What a clown of a manager but great entertainment.

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