According to Shaka Hislop, Di Canio is not a racist, but he does question the Italian's ability to manage in the Premiership and suggests he walks a narrow line between "genius and insanity".
David James goes further, saying that he always regarded Di Canio as a "dictator" and says that his straight arm salute to the Lazio fans simply confirmed what he had always suspected, that Di Canio was an unpleasant individual.