EPL: Top 10 crazy managerial reigns

Paolo Di Canio's tumultuous 13-match reign as Sunderland boss came to a premature end after a player mutiny. Here is a list of managerial meltdowns to keep him company:

1. Leroy Rosenoir

Torquay, 2007

You've probably heard of managerial appointments lasting a matter of weeks, but Leroy Rosenior's second spell in charge of struggling Torquay lasted all of 10 minutes.

Yes, really. As the former Fulham striker happily fielded questions from journalists during a televised press conference, the planets were aligning in an opposite direction behind the scenes.

The press gathering was interrupted with news that the club had just been taken over by a new consortium that had installed Paul Buckle as manager with immediate effect.

2. Delio Rossi

Fiorentina, 2011-12

Everything looked rosy for Rossi at the start of 2012 as Fiorentina sat comfortably in the top half of the table.

However, a terrible sequence of results left the Gigliati fighting to retain their Serie A status.

Everything came to a head on May 2 in a home game against second-last Novaro when Rossi substituted Serbian attacker Adem Ljajic in the 32nd minute with Fiorentina losing 2-0.

When Ljajic ironically applauded the substitution, Rossi shoved the player into the dug-out and jumped on him while letting fly with a volley of punches. He was promptly sacked and banned from football for three months.

3. Claude Anelka

Raith Rovers, 2004

The brother and then agent of enigmatic French striker Nicolas invested £200,000 ($ 403,159) in the Scottish First Division club, in return for being allowed to manage the team. Big mistake.

Anelka claimed that he wanted to make Raith the third force in Scotland behind Celtic and Rangers, but proceeded to sign players from the 7th tier of French football - some of whom had only played in six-a-side games.

With the fans baying for blood as the team languished at the foot of the table following a run of one draw and nine defeats from their opening 10 games, Anelka was forced to resign.

4. Christian Gross

Tottenham Hotspur, 1997-98

When Gross succeeded Gerry Francis at White Hart Lane, the most common response from Spurs' fans was: "Who the hell is he?"

The more optimistic pointed out that Gross had won two league titles with Grasshopper Zurich in Switzerland.

But optimism faded during his opening press conference when the new gaffer waved a London Underground travelcard and yelled: "I want this to be the ticket of my dreams!"

His nightmare began with Spurs losing 6-1 to Chelsea, and within 10 months, the English tabloids' laughing stock was scuttling off back to Switzerland.

5. Steve Kean

Blackburn, 2010-12

During Kean's two-year spell at Ewood Park, the famous old club slipped from the sanctuary of mid-table in the Premier League under Sam Allardyce, to the lower reaches of the Championship.

With Rovers rooted to the foot of the Premier League for virtually all of 2011-12, there was outright rebellion in the stands, yet the Venky's refused to budge - Kean even managed to negotiate a contract on improved terms.

A few weeks into last season, and after 37 defeats from 74 games, one of the most unpopular managers in football history was belatedly relieved of his duties. Three more managers came and went before the end of a turbulent campaign.

6. Zdravko Mamic

Dinamo Zagreb, 2003-present

The latest in a long, long line of Mamic misdemeanours came in March, when he was arrested for verbally attacking Croatian Minister of Sports Zeljko Jovanovic on a radio show.

The self-styled "Executive Manager" is drawn to controversy; whether it's groping belly dancers, punching a director of the Croatian FA, attacking a former Dinamo director and chasing him over a fence, or breaking a city planning official's hand with a set of crutches for refusing his plans to build a skyscraper in Zagreb. Oh, and he once celebrated a Dinamo victory with a Nazi salute.

7. Paul Gascoigne

Kettering, 2005

When the greatest English footballer of his generation was unveiled as the new manager of ambitious non-league side Kettering, he looked in fine health after apparently beating his long-standing alcohol addiction.

Initially, results weren't bad. However, rumours that Gazza's demons had returned soon surfaced.

His behaviour became more erratic, his utterances at press conferences more slurred, and, when he literally fell off the team bus before what proved to be his final match in charge, it didn't take a genius to work out that he'd also fallen off the wagon. Sacked after 39 days.

8. Sven-Goran Ericksson

Notts County, 2009-10

Ericksson rocked up at County following a takeover that promised to bring in several million pounds of Middle Eastern investment.

"To build a club from the bottom of League Two to be a Premier League club is like a dream," he said, and he even persuaded Sol Campbell to swop the top flight for the muck and nettles of lower league football.

However, things soon soured. "I started to have doubts when they couldn't pay the milk bill," Sven told the BBC, after discovering he had been conned by professional scammer Russell King, whose actions left the club £7m in debt.

9. John Sitton

Leyton Orient, 1994-95

Sitton's managerial career was effectively ended by a fly-on-the-wall TV documentary called Orient: Club For A Fiver.

Sitton's passion and use of colourful language reached a head during a half-time team talk when Orient found themselves a goal down against Blackpool.

After sacking popular defender Terry Howard, Sitton offered to fight two of his own players, saying (several thousand expletives have been removed from the following quote): "You can pair up if you like, and you can pick someone else to help you, and you can bring your dinner - because by the time I'm finished with you, you'll need it."

10. Paolo Di Canio

Sunderland, 2013

This list just wouldn't be complete without PDC. Back in April, when the Italian masterminded a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Newcastle and celebrated with a maniacal knee slide in his tailored suit, he was declared a managerial genius by Sunderland fans.

The following week the Black Cats beat Everton to secure survival, but there's been little to smile about since.

Determined to control everything at the club, Di Canio even banned his players from talking to club officials on match days in case it affected their focus.

Mobile phones, mayonnaise, fizzy drinks and tomato ketchup were also outlawed, but it was his "brutal, vitriolic" criticism of his squad that precipitated the mutiny which led to Di Canio's removal from office.

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