Sport 12-08-2003 Charlton Athletic Sign Di Canio who: Charlton Athletic what: Sign West HAm`s Paolo Di Canio for one year where: The Valley, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "The Premiership can breathe a sigh of relief," says Nick Szczepanik of The Times. "With four days to go until the start of the new season, Paolo Di Canio is back. He signed a one-year contract with Charlton Athletic yesterday and will be available to torment defenders and team-mates alike from this weekend." "Di Canio, 35, became the 12th West Ham player to be fixed up with another club this summer, having scoring 46 goals in 118 League appearances," says stat man Christopher Davies in The Telegraph. "West Ham`s loss is likely to be Charlton`s gain - the south-east London club have had plenty of personalities over the years but few can match the Italian striker for passion, controversy or - perhaps most importantly - skill." Tactically, the arrival of Di Canio will take the pressure off Scott Parker, the former England Under 21 international midfielder who signed a new contract with the Addicks this summer, explains Simon Burnton in The Guardian, who thinks South African international Shaun Bartlett is "favourite to play alongside [Di Canio] in attack". "I had a number of lucrative offers from abroad but as soon as I met Alan Curbishley and chairman Richard Murray I sensed this was a club with ambition and real team spirit," says the ageing Italian, quoted in The Mirror and making a special effort to avoid saying anything at all interesting, let alone controversial. "I`m excited to be playing in the Premiership again next season and can`t wait for my first game at The Valley." [... more]

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