Can you accidentally do a Nazi salute?

[Jan Klimkowski]

Paolo Di Canio has spoken of being a fascist.

Here's the wiki oveview:

Di Canio is a self-proclaimed Fascist. In 2005, he characterised his political views by declaring that he was "a fascist, not a racist".[28]

His use of the Roman salute toward Lazio supporters, a gesture adopted by Italian fascists in the 20th century, has created controversy. Documented uses of the salute include in matches against arch-rivals A.S. Roma and A.S. Livorno Calcio, a club inclined to left-wing politics.[29] Di Canio received a one-match ban after the second event and was fined €7,000.[30] He was later quoted as saying: "I will always salute as I did because it gives me a sense of belonging to my people ... I saluted my people with what for me is a sign of belonging to a group that holds true values, values of civility against the standardisation that this society imposes upon us."[31] His salute has been featured on unofficial merchandise sold outside Stadio Olimpico after the ban.[29]

He has also expressed admiration for the fascist leader Benito Mussolini. In his autobiography, he praised Mussolini as "basically a very principled, ethical individual" who was "deeply misunderstood".[32][33][34]

29 a b Kassimeris, Christos (2008). European football in black and white: tackling racism in football. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 70. ISBN 0-7391-1960-5, 9780739119600.
30 Bar-On, Tamir (2007). Where have all the fascists gone?. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.,. p. 1. ISBN 0-7546-7154-2, 9780754671541.
31 Nursey, James (19 Dec 2005). "Football: ll Di Canio new salute row". The Daily Mirror; London (UK),. Retrieved 28 February 2010.[dead link]
32 a b "Paolo Di Canio: 'My life speaks for me'". The Independent. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
33 Duff, Mark (9 January 2005). "Footballer's 'fascist salute' row". BBC News. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
34 Fenton, Ben (24 Dec 2005). "I'm a fascist, not a racist, says Paolo di Canio". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 16 February 2010.

Di Canio's line has always been to proclaim his fascism and deny he is a racist.

I'm a fascist, not a racist, says Paolo di Canio

By Ben Fenton

12:01AM GMT 24 Dec 2005 Daily Telegraph

An Italian footballer defended himself yesterday against a growing chorus of condemnation over his use of a straight-arm salute to a Right-wing crowd by saying "I am a fascist, not a racist".

Paolo di Canio, 37, faces the full wrath of Fifa, the world game's governing body, after the third occasion in the past year in which he has raised his right arm, palm-downwards, to the fans of his team, SS Lazio, of Rome.

Last week, the Italian football authorities banned him for one game and fined him almost £7,000 for the latest instance of the salute, but Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, has suggested that a lifetime ban might be a more appropriate sanction.

Di Canio, who once played in Britain for West Ham and Celtic, is an unusual case and Lazio an unusual club.

Football hooliganism and Right-wing extremism have historically made easy bedfellows, but this is no ordinary case.
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As a boy, di Canio was initiated as an "ultra", or extreme supporter, of SS Lazio (the initials stand for Societá Sportiva), a team founded by Italian army officers in 1900 and the preferred club of Benito Mussolini, "Il Duce", one of the founders of fascism.

The player has, in his autobiography, praised Mussolini as "basically a very principled, ethical individual" who was "deeply misunderstood".

He has the word "Dux", the Latin equivalent of "Duce", tattooed on his arm.

Lazio's connection with fascists has not waned over the years. When di Canio gave his first salute, in a game against the city's other major club, Lazio's hated rivals AS Roma, last January, the crowd included Il Duce's granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini.

"What a delightful Roman salute!" she exclaimed afterwards.

"I was deeply moved.

"I will write him a thank you note."

There is still no black player in the Lazio squad and only a few years have passed since the Curva Nord, the stand where the ultras congregate for home matches, displayed a banner "Team of Blacks, Crowd of Jews" to taunt their counterparts at Roma, who are traditionally extremely Left-wing in leaning.

Di Canio, who has also played for Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic, maintains that he cannot see what the fuss is about.

He told the Italian news agency Ansa yesterday: "I am a fascist, not a racist.

"I give the straight arm salute because it is a salute from a 'camerata' to 'camerati'," he said, carefully using the Italian words for members of Mussolini's fascist movement.

"The salute is aimed at my people. With the straight arm I don't want to incite violence and certainly not racial hatred," he said.

But, as in Germany, encouraging fascism is a crime in Italy.

Whether di Canio is charged by anyone other than the footballing authorities remains to be seen.

The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is on his side, saying that Di Canio is "an exhibitionist but a good lad" and his salute "did not have any significance".

If Di Canio escapes heavy censure, he would not be the first footballer to do so for a similar offence.

In 1996, Mark Bosnich, the Aston Villa goalkeeper, gave a fascist salute to the fans of Tottenham Hotspur, a team with a strong following among London's Jewish community.

He said afterwards he was not aware of that fact at the time he raised his arm. Bosnich was fined £1,000.

On a visit to Berlin in 1938, the FA ordered all of England's footballers to give the fascist salute to their German hosts even though Adolf Hitler was not present.

Lazio has notoriously racist fans, who recently carved up some Spurs supporters in Rome.

Di Canio is not a stupid man.

His statements are either disingenous or a lie.