Di Canio: 'I've matured' (From This Is Swindon Town FC)

SWINDON TOWN: Di Canio: 'I've matured'

6:00am Monday 4th June 2012 in News By Sam Morshead

PAOLO Di Canio thinks he has matured both as a manager and as an individual over the past month.

The Swindon Town boss re-emerged from self-enforced silence last week when he signed a new two-year extension to his contract at the County Ground, and he was quick to explain why he had stayed quiet in the wake of several controversial stories which have hit the headlines in the last four weeks.

Since the end of last term the Italian has kept his thoughts to himself amidst allegations of racial abuse, the furore over Luke McCormick and public criticism of his man management skills by goalkeeper Phil Smith.

But with a firm plan for the future now in place, Di Canio has opened up about how a turbulent month has affected him personally.

He said: “In Italy it wasn’t an easy time for me because reading some idiocy or stupid article, written by people who always want to create problems between the board and the manager or maybe the people who are not happy to see Swindon in such a good position, made me very angry.

“If you know me, you’d know I would go out (and speak) every single morning that I read this news. But, with respect for the club and the situation, I probably became more mature as a person and as a manager.

“Sometimes you have to handle the situation and you have to accept and wait for the right time to say things and to say words.”

Di Canio is now keen to look forward rather than reflect on what has gone on in Wiltshire while he was back home in his native country.

However, he criticised Smith for suggesting over Twitter that Di Canio did not have the courage to personally tell him that he would not be getting a new contract with Town.

“It’s obvious that it wasn’t easy,” he said. “It’s obvious now there has to be a new start, looking to the future in a positive way.

“But I can’t forget that some members that were a part of my team said, in my opinion, stupid things - especially without having the courage - to leave his opinion on Twitter.

“It sends a negative message about myself, about the situation, because it is obvious that he is a selfish footballer. He thinks about himself and puts me in a bad situation.

“I have to protect my dignity, my job so it’s obvious that from now I can talk about the future but there will be a time when I answer to people who say stupid things, even some fans, in the last few weeks.”