Sky Sports understands Sunderland have begun talks with Gus Poyet over their vacant manager's job.
Player power
Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips told Sky Sports how Di Canio's sacking was no surprise because the players hold the power now.
The veteran Crystal Palace forward said: "Speaking as a player that's played under many managers over the years, once you lose that dressing room you lose your players - they don't trust you.
"I think the chairman and the board had no choice but to relieve Paolo of his job and duties, because in this day and age I believe that man management is more important than actual tactics on the pitch and I think there wasn't any of the at the Stadium of Light.
"Once you lose that dressing room you're on a hiding to nothing. I would certainly say that with the regime he was running there, allegedly.
"If you believe everything you read - banning smiling, staff aren't allowed to talk to players, no tomato ketchup, no coffee - I don't believe you can do that in this day and age.
"You're talking about fully-grown men that have got their own families - you can't treat them like kids. You have to treat them like adults and I believe Di Canio's style doesn't work for me in the Premier League."
