Paolo Di Canio apologised to Sunderland fans after his team suffered a 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Monday.

Di Canio was fuming at the meek surrender of a team whose mini-revival came to a shuddering halt thanks to Christian Benteke’s hat-trick. The result leaves Sunderland, like Villa and Newcastle, five points clear of third-bottom Wigan.

And Di Canio was not happy.

“We have to apologise to the supporters,” said Di Canio, whose side were suffering their biggest defeat since 2010.

“It is beautiful to be there with the fans when you win against Newcastle. But you also have to stand in front of them when you lose heavily.”

Zabaleta looking for family boost

Pablo Zabaleta is investigating how to get his dad to the FA Cup final. The Man. City defender was given compassionate leave by his club in 2011 when father Jorge was seriously injured in a road accident in Buenos Aires.

Although his dad survived, he was too ill to get to Wembley for that year’s FA Cup final win over Stoke. Zabaleta senior remains in a wheelchair following the accident but the Argentina defender is trying to find a way of getting his dad to the Wembley encounter.

Zabaleta said: “We are looking to try and bring him to the final. He wants to come but he needs someone else to be with him and at the moment we are not sure.”

DFL president seeking re-election

The president of the German Football League (DFL), Reinhard Rauball, has put forward his candidacy for another three-year term in the post when elections are held on August 7.

Rauball, formerly president of Borussia Dortmund and a solicitor by profession, has been head of the DFL since 2007 and was re-elected by a landslide vote three years ago.

He has now announced he will be standing for a third term this summer.

The DFL’s elections will take place in Berlin ahead of the 2013/14 Bundesliga season.

Bernstein joins FIFA task force

England’s top referee Howard Webb and FA chairman David Bernstein have been appointed to FIFA’s new anti-racism and discrimination task force.

The pair are on the 12-strong body along with USA striker Jozy Altidore, UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay and Piara Powar, head of the anti-discrimination body FARE.

The first meeting of the group, chaired by FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, will take place in Zurich next week.

Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng is also on the task force.

Redknapp to stay as QPR boss

Queen’s Park Rangers have confirmed that Harry Redknapp will remain in charge next season despite the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

QPR owner Tony Fernandes had announced that he would meet Redknapp to discuss various aspects of the team’s future, prompting speculation that Redknapp could leave the London club, but the Malaysian confirmed the 66-year-old former Tottenham boss will stay on as manager.

Fernandes said: “I have had a positive meeting with Harry this week.

“I don’t think there was any point where he was thinking of not being with us and continuing this project he has embarked upon with a third of the season through.”

Djibril Cisse eyes Marseille move

Djibril Cisse is eying a move back to Marseille after admitting playing in the Championship with QPR appears rather complicated.

Cisse, whose loan spell at Qatari club Al Gharafa expires at the end of the season, is already talking up a move away from Loftus Road.

The 32-year-old said: “Given how it has gone for them from a sporting viewpoint, (a return to QPR) does seem complicated at the moment.”

Cisse would relish a switch to Marseille, a club he joined from Liverpool in 2006.

“It would be a dream for me to go back to Marseille and play for them again,” said Cisse.

Luxemburgo banned after brawl

Gremio coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has been suspended for six South American matches for his part in a brawl at the end of his team’s Libertadores Cup match away to Chile’s Hua-chipato 11 days ago.

The former Real Madrid and Brazil coach, alleged to have sparked the brawl, was also fined $25,000 by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), which posted the sanctions on its website (www.conmebol.com) earlier this week.

The heaviest punishment by the disciplinary committee went to Luxemburgo’s right-hand man Emerson.

He was banned for eight matches and fined $20,000.­

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