Sunderland eye Gianfranco Zola as their next manager after sacking Paolo di Canio
Watford boss in frame to succeed fellow Italian at Prem's
bottom club as it emerges one star was told off for SMILING at training
Clive Rose
Gianfranco Zola is the shock name on Sunderland's managerial shortlist.
A Monday board meeting discussed a group of candidates to succeed the sacked Paolo di Canio, which also includes Roberto Di Matteo and Gus Poyet.
Director of football Roberto De Fanti wants a young tracksuit-and-training-ground manager, and Zola of Championship promotion chasers Watford fits the bill.
De Fanti, charged with finding a new manager, is close to Watford's technical director Gianluca Nani, and with so many Italian players on the Wearsiders' books, there is a clear temptation to opt for someone of the same nationality as Di Canio.
Former Chelsea boss Di Matteo is also in the frame but there are concerns as to whether he sees Sunderland as being beneath him.
Di Matteo has been waiting for a big European club to come in for him - he believes having the Blues' Champions League triumph on his CV can help him land a top job.
It is understood Sunderland have also made enquiries about former Brighton boss Poyet, who is out of work and available.
Cardiff's Malky Mackay could be a surprise contender, especially with his long term future uncertain under success-hungry owner Vincent Tan.
De Fanti made it clear during enquiries about managers that Sunderland did not have a plan in place before axing di Canio.
The Black Cats' squad were called to a meeting at 8am on Monday, just hours after Di Canio's sacking, and told Kevin Ball is in temporary charge for at least the next two games.
De Fanti and club chief executive Margaret Byrne spoke to the players during the two-hour meeting and urged them to "pull together."
They told the players a manager would be appointed as quickly as possible and that plans were already underway to get a replacement for Di Canio.
Mirror Sport can reveal that, as reported yesterday, Di Canio held a training-ground crisis meeting with his players on Sunday in the wake of the 3-0 loss at West Brom that leaves the club bottom and with just one point from five games.
He challenged senior players to ring owner Ellis Short if they wanted him out - and they did.
US tycoon Short acted swiftly and sacked him.
It comes after several players turned on Di Canio in the meeting as he questioned their commitment and performances - shouting him down in scenes of open revolt.
Several players had approached the club's hierarchy via agents and some had gone direct to complain about Di Canio's regime.
They moaned about it being too strict and about his training methods.
One senior player is understood to have received a dressing down for SMILING during a physio session as he battled back to fitness.
A Sunderland source said: "It was like putting a lunatic in charge of the asylum. De Fanti wasn't appointed by Di Canio and is now expected to get his own man.
"They've got a profile in mind - young, tracksuited, a good man-manager and someone with experience of working in England."
Roy Keane, Aug 06-Dec 08 42 17 41
Ricky Sbragia, Dec 08-May 09 6 7 13
Steve Bruce, June 09-Nov 11 29 28 41
Martin O’Neill, Dec 11-Mar 13 19 16 19
Paolo di Canio, Mar 13-Sep 13 3 3 7
A Monday board meeting discussed a group of candidates to succeed the sacked Paolo di Canio, which also includes Roberto Di Matteo and Gus Poyet.
Director of football Roberto De Fanti wants a young tracksuit-and-training-ground manager, and Zola of Championship promotion chasers Watford fits the bill.
De Fanti, charged with finding a new manager, is close to Watford's technical director Gianluca Nani, and with so many Italian players on the Wearsiders' books, there is a clear temptation to opt for someone of the same nationality as Di Canio.
Former Chelsea boss Di Matteo is also in the frame but there are concerns as to whether he sees Sunderland as being beneath him.
Di Matteo has been waiting for a big European club to come in for him - he believes having the Blues' Champions League triumph on his CV can help him land a top job.
It is understood Sunderland have also made enquiries about former Brighton boss Poyet, who is out of work and available.
Cardiff's Malky Mackay could be a surprise contender, especially with his long term future uncertain under success-hungry owner Vincent Tan.
De Fanti made it clear during enquiries about managers that Sunderland did not have a plan in place before axing di Canio.
The Black Cats' squad were called to a meeting at 8am on Monday, just hours after Di Canio's sacking, and told Kevin Ball is in temporary charge for at least the next two games.
De Fanti and club chief executive Margaret Byrne spoke to the players during the two-hour meeting and urged them to "pull together."
They told the players a manager would be appointed as quickly as possible and that plans were already underway to get a replacement for Di Canio.
Mirror Sport can reveal that, as reported yesterday, Di Canio held a training-ground crisis meeting with his players on Sunday in the wake of the 3-0 loss at West Brom that leaves the club bottom and with just one point from five games.
He challenged senior players to ring owner Ellis Short if they wanted him out - and they did.
US tycoon Short acted swiftly and sacked him.
It comes after several players turned on Di Canio in the meeting as he questioned their commitment and performances - shouting him down in scenes of open revolt.
Several players had approached the club's hierarchy via agents and some had gone direct to complain about Di Canio's regime.
They moaned about it being too strict and about his training methods.
One senior player is understood to have received a dressing down for SMILING during a physio session as he battled back to fitness.
A Sunderland source said: "It was like putting a lunatic in charge of the asylum. De Fanti wasn't appointed by Di Canio and is now expected to get his own man.
"They've got a profile in mind - young, tracksuited, a good man-manager and someone with experience of working in England."
Sunderland's last five managers
W D LRoy Keane, Aug 06-Dec 08 42 17 41
Ricky Sbragia, Dec 08-May 09 6 7 13
Steve Bruce, June 09-Nov 11 29 28 41
Martin O’Neill, Dec 11-Mar 13 19 16 19
Paolo di Canio, Mar 13-Sep 13 3 3 7
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