Paolo Di Canio says David Sullivan was right all along about West Ham’s most controversial decision ever

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David Sullivan once ruled out Paolo Di Canio ever managing West Ham but the Hammers great has now come to the owners’ defence.

Paolo Di Canio is comfortably one of the best players in West Ham’s modern history.

In fact Italian maverick Di Canio is arguably the best of the club’s Premier League era – being challenged now perhaps by Jarrod Bowen.

Despite playing for some of Europe’s biggest clubs during a storied career, West Ham is the place where Di Canio truly made his name. And the place he still considers home.

He left an ever-lasting imprint on West Ham United and the same is true of the club on the fiery former forward – who sports a Hammers tattoo on his arm.

Di Canio and Sullivan have left imprint on West Ham’s history

Di Canio has actually been linked with a return to east London to take up his dream job of managing West Ham on a couple of occasions in the past.

Majority owner David Sullivan has left his own imprint on West Ham’s history.

Some fans will never see eye-to-eye with Sullivan, who has been subject of numerous fan protests down the years.

One of the big reasons behind those was the move from Upton Park to Stratford.

The first few years after the big stadium move following the emotional departure from West Ham’s beloved Boleyn Ground was beset by issues.

Vice-chair Karren Brady actually hailed the move the ‘most successful stadium migration ever’.

The reality was very different. In-fighting among fans, problems with stewarding and anger over the distance from the stands to the pitch were just a few of a litany of reasons resentment towards the board spilled over.

A period of success under David Moyes and increased transfer spending dampened disquiet over the stadium move.

But West Ham’s struggles in the last 16 months have seen the London Stadium atmosphere become a hot topic among fans again.

Last month a prominent West Ham fan group demanded answers from the owners over major changes needed to the London Stadium.

It is a subject which continues to divide opinion and drive debate among supporters.

Di Canio says Sullivan was right all along about West Ham’s most controversial decision ever

Just today the London Stadium has been named in the bottom five of all 92 Football League clubs by away fans.

West Ham have always maintained they had to leave Upton Park in order to continue to compete with the top teams and go to the ‘next level’.

Now one of the club’s greatest ever players has surprisingly come to Sullivan’s defence.

Di Canio says Sullivan was right all along about West Ham’s most controversial decision ever.

The Hammers hero understands why supporters have found the stadium move difficult to stomach and accept nearly nine years on.

Trophy win proves stadium move was right says Di Canio

But Di Canio says the owners have ultimately been proved correct by virtue of winning the club’s only major trophy of the last 45 years and competing in Europe three seasons in a row.

“Obviously, I couldn’t feel the difference (between the two grounds), as a footballer because I played only at Upton Park,” Di Canio told Foot Italia in a lengthy and wide-ranging interview shared with Hammers News.

“I know that the first two and a half years didn’t pay off at the Olympic stadium. But at the end of the day, we have to accept it because modern football needs more income for the club. 36,000 at Upton Park were amazing every match.

“But 60,000 makes a difference to compete and to try to stay at the top level. And West Ham proved that they were right because after 60 years we won the Conference League and it was a fantastic moment for everybody. If you have a chance to attract more quality and high level footballers, that is good for the club, for the supporters.”

Exciting football key to improving London Stadium atmosphere says Di Canio

Di Canio believes fan anger over the ground has subsided from the early years.

And he says when the Hammers start playing exciting football again, the atmosphere will return too.

“Obviously the atmosphere wasn’t really the same in the first two years. But now I have to tell you, because last season I came here to watch a few matches.

“And when the team play well, when there is a good atmosphere, you have 60,000 people singing our fantastic song and you can feel the passion in your body, in your shirt.

“And I think the footballers are very lucky to play in this stadium now with this amazing atmosphere. But even when the team are not playing so well, the supporters are amazing because they try to push the lads and the season when we won the conference league, the atmosphere became even more magic.”