New Sunderland boss Paolo di Canio has again been forced to defend his character against rabid press.

The fiery Italian has come out to explain his character once more after creating a storm on Wearside when he was named Sunderland's new boss.

Di Canio, 44, said: "People who want to say good things about me will talk about the game where I won the FIFA Fair Play award for stopping play when there was an injury.

"But I don't even want to talk about this moment. I don't want to talk about it because, inside everyone, part of them is an angel, part of them is a devil.

"I behave the way I behave. If I appear aggressive or theatrical to you, then that is how you must describe me.

"But that is my passion, this is my way. It is not all of me, though - I have two girls, one goes to Southampton University to study bio-technology, the other goes to a British school.

"I pay tax. I play my part in civic life. My best friends are Chris Powell and Trevor Sinclair, who are black, my agent is Jewish, so I am not as simple to portray as some would suggest.

"My hope is that soon we will not be talking about this subject - that we will only be talking about football, because that is why I am here at Sunderland."