Reports: Declared Non-Racist Di Canio Looks To Bring In Negro

Two of Paolo Di Canio's closest footballing friends and former teammates have been strongly linked today with moves to Sunderland.

Former Lazio defender Paolo Negro has been, according to numerous local press outlets, been linked with the role of a Director Of Football role, or Technical Director, or whatever you want to call it.

Bringing the former Italian international in would to me be a very odd move. It's understood that Di Canio wanted to bring in Negro to Swindon during his tenure there but the board of the Robins wouldn't let it happen. Being a good old chum Negro recommended a number of players to Di Canio anyway.

Negro, highly decorated as a player, doesn't have much by the way of qualifications for the role. While Di Canio and all the team he brought with him to run the first team have UEFA Pro Licenses, Negro only has an Italian Level 2 Qualification, which will only allow him in his own country to coach as high as the amateur Lega Pro.

His managerial experience is also as nondescript as his qualifications, having coached Promozione in the seventh level of Italian football, before quitting after three months on grounds of poor results. He is currently in charge of Serie D side Zagarolo.

Meanwhile another linked name ot the club is that of Tommaso Rocchi, a striker who plays for Inter Milan occasionally but spent the bulk of his career at Lazio, firmly becoming a club legend. Can you see the connection yet?

Rocchi signed for Inter in January but is set to be released at the end of the season as he was merely providing back-up for Diego Milito and Antonio Cassano.

The striker turns 36 in September, so be sure to quickly label him just another Louis Saha or James McFadden before your friends do, as the signing of him would breed all the same feelings of 'meh' once again.

And once again Di Canio is as previous statements have shown, not a racist.