1. And Then Bullying Frank Lampard Into Giving Up A Penalty
If that wasn't enough, Di Canio's afternoon got even more surreal towards the end of the game when his side eventually were awarded a penalty. Trailing 2-4, a foul on Paul Kitson saw the referee finally give West Ham the chance to score from the spot. Frank Lampard collected the ball and placed it down, before a light shove in the back spun him around. Di Canio, red faced and full of hell, pulled the ball away from him before unleashing a tirade of expletives and, after trying to hold both his ground and the ball for a few seconds, Lampard eventually gave up and left it to him. Despite Lampard being the club's regular penalty taker and Harry Redknapp yelling furiously from the touchline, the Italian got his way and after another scrap broke out between the two teams, he fired it home to drag West Ham back into the game. Lampard would later go on to describe the moment as one of the most unpleasant things he'd encountered in football at that point and insinuate that Di Canio had some serious issues he needed to address with himself. Di Canio, on the other hand, claims he doesn't even remember it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NovS1hohmTw
WhatCulture's Managing Editor and Chief Reporter | Previously seen in Vice, Esquire, FourFourTwo, Sabotage Times, Loaded, The Set Pieces, and Mundial Magazine
