Paolo Di Canio Feared Sunderland Sack

[Folami David]

Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio says he feared the sack in the immediate controversy over his appointment.
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Di Canio, 44, had to fend off questions about whether he held fascist beliefs as the focus on his political views overshadowed his arrival in March.
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"He [chairman Ellis Short] might have thought, 'Now I'll sack him straight away' because he was under pressure," Di Canio told the Sunderland Echo.
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Sunderland's Premier League run-in
29 April: Aston Villa (a)
4 May: Stoke (h)
12 May: Southampton (h)
19 May: Tottenham (a)
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"Instead he backed me 100%, 1,000%. He supported me in an incredible way."
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Di Canio started with a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea before he steered the Black Cats to wins over the club's arch rivals Newcastle and top-four hopefuls Everton.
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The mini-revival has eased Sunderland's relegation concerns, although Di Canio insists the club are still not safe as they lie five points ahead of third-from- bottom Wigan with four games remaining.
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"It was a strange moment, a strange situation in time those three days [after becoming Sunderland manager]," added the Italian ahead of his side's game at Aston Villa on Monday.
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"But he rang me and backed me all the way. He said, 'Proceed because you have complete support from the board'.
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"From there, I felt even more energy, I was even more focused and even more determined to get the best out of the team, and I believed that no matter what the split with fans, I would look to make them happy as quickly as I could."