Lazio's Di Canio meets Holocaust survivors in Rome

Lazio's Paolo Di Canio has defended his political views after meeting with Jewish survivors of Nazi death camps yesterday.

The striker was condemned by Jewish groups in Italy after making fascist salutes at the end of Serie A matches against Livorno and Juventus in December.

In both cases the Italian Football League's disciplinary committee punished him with a 10,000 euro fine and a one-match suspension.

Yesterday's meeting at Rome's Campidoglio between representatives of Lazio and Roma teams and three survivors of Nazi camps outside Italy was arranged by the mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni.

Veltroni had also spoken out against neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic banners held up by Roma fans during a match against Livorno last month.

"My (political) ideas remain the same, but that doesn't mean I'm in favour of violence," Di Canio said.

"Today we heard the stories of people who have been through something terrible."

Di Canio has always insisted his salutes had no racist overtones, although he has never hidden his admiration for former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

After the meeting, however, he admitted that Mussolini's laws prohibiting Jews from holding public office, going to public schools and universities had been wrong.

"It's important that people are aware of what happened. The race laws were terrible. Violence is never a positive thing," he said.