Coached Juventus (1988-1990) and Lazio (1990-94) before rising a couple of flights of stairs at Lazio to become club president.
He stuck around in the top flight for seven seasons, first at Foggia, then at Lazio and Roma, winning plaudits for his exciting run-and-gun style.
Di Canio wrote in his 2000 autobiography that he was fascinated by Benito Mussolini and, in 2005, celebrated with the far-right "ultras" at Lazio, his former club in Rome, by making a fascist salute.
Since his appointment at Sunderland, Di Canio has insisted that he doesn' want to talk about politics, though in 2005 he was willing to aim a straight-arm salute at Lazio's fans which, he claimed, was directed at "my people".
In other games, Atalanta won 3-1 at home to Parma, Lazio lost 2-0 at Bari and Cagliari continued early-season leaders Genoa's poor recent run with a 3-2 home win.
Juventus sits five points clear at the summit with Lazio in second following its 2-1 win at Cagliari on Saturday.
His father Roberto played under City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson at Sampdoria and Lazio.
In other Serie A action, Fiorentina, who beat Liverpool for a famous Champions League victory on Tuesday, were held scoreless at home by Lazio.
It was at Italian side Lazio where he achieved arguably his greatest success, winning every major trophy in Italy - including the Serie A title in 2000 for only the second time in the Roman club's history - and the European Cup Winners Cup.
Balotelli's former club crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Siera, while third-placed Lazio lost 3-2 at Genoa.
The BBC's Rome correspondent Alan Johnston said later that police had identified at least one fan of Lazio's rivals Roma among those involved in the attack.
If nothing else, the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio, in Buffalo on Wednesday, showed that Mr Lazio can give at least as good as he gets.
Meanwhile in Serie A, Giampaolo Pazzini scored twice as AC Milan overran 10-man Lazio 3-0 at the San Siro on Saturday.
"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be lectured for the next six years by Hillary Rodham Clinton, " Lazio said to applause at the delegation meeting.
Although Clinton had challenged Lazio to a soft-money ban after he entered the race in May, the issue lay dormant until Lazio brought it up at their first televised debate September 13.
CNN: Clinton hits Lazio over campaign reform in New York debate
Indeed in the intervening months Feyenoord have beaten Marseille and Lazio away and drawn 0-0 at home to the Italian side.
Lazio and fellow strugglers Bologna were scoreless at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome while Nicola Amoruso's late penalty earned fifth-placed Parma a 1-1 draw at home to Napoli.
Still, Lazio insisted he was trying to keep a low profile at the convention, saying it was Bush's moment to shine.
With the tie poised at 1-1 following last week's first leg in Turin, Lazio took the lead through Alvaro Gonzalez's header.
Udinese halted a worrying run of defeats but could not claim all three points as Lazio held on for a point with a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Friuli.
Lazio responded by again raising complaints about the Clintons inviting contributors to stay at the White House.
CNN: Clinton hits Lazio over campaign reform in New York debate
Lazio struck four times en route to a dazzling 4-0 victory at Levski Sofia for their first win in Group G .
Second-placed Lazio closed the gap to three points with a 2-0 win at home to Atalanta, while Napoli reclaimed third from Inter Milan with a 3-0 win over Palermo.
Clinton refused at the time but later signed on to an agreement that her campaign now accuses Lazio of violating with a television ad partly paid for with Republican Party funds.
CNN: Clinton hits Lazio over campaign reform in New York debate
The Italian club Lazio will also play to empty stands on March 14 when it hosts Stuttgart at the Olympic Stadium in Rome in the Europa League and for its following European home game, whether it comes this season or not.
That is what Alfredo Milioni, a former bus-driver charged with registering the PdL's candidates in Lazio (which includes Rome), first said had lured him from the queue at the electoral office on February 27th.
ECONOMIST: A farcical failure to register candidates in time
Lazio's next opponents will be German side VfB Stuttgart who won 2-0 at Racing Genk in Belgium to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Second-placed Lazio, who were also in action on Saturday, could only draw 2-2 away at relegation-threatened Palermo.
After returning to Lazio in 2004, Di Canio made remarks which he has refused to clarify following his appointment at Sunderland.
The tight race upstate is bad news for Lazio, who many observers say must win the traditionally Republican counties north of New York by at least 10 points to offset Clinton's lead in the city.
应用推荐