Matchday arrives and Paolo walks into the changing room to find all his Swindon players looking a bit glum. "What’s up?” he asks. Ugly words are exchanged as an almighty row ensues and the hot headed Paolo suspends all of his players with immediate effect.
Determined not to let Brendan Rogers down Di Canio insists the game will go ahead and he will play for Swindon on his own against the mighty reds.
Paolo orders his players to go to the players lounge and he will meet up with them later as he goes out to play the match.
So Paolo goes out to play for Swindon by himself and the rest of the team go off for a few beers in the players lounge. After a few pints the players wonder how the game is going, so they get the barmaid to put the television on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads “Swindon 1 - Liverpool 0 (Di Canio 10 minutes).” He is beating Liverpool all by himself!
Anyway, a few more pints later and the game is forgotten until one of the players remembers “It must be full time now, let’s see how he got on.” They put the teletext on. “Result from Anfield: Swindon 1 (Di Canio 10 minutes) - Liverpool 1 (Gerrard 89 minutes).”
They can’t believe it; he has single-handedly gotten a draw!! They rush back to the dressing room to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sat with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them. He says, “I’ve let you down, I’ve let you down.”
“Don’t be daft, you got a draw, all by yourself. And they only scored at the very end!” the players say.
To which Paolo replies: “No, No, I have, I’ve let you down… I got sent off after 11 minutes for excessive celebration”
