"At the top levels in Britain I think the standards generally are very high, perhaps even better than in other countries," he said. "In Latin countries players might have more 'fantasy' and the coaches might have a slightly more flexible approach, both technically and tactically, but I think bringing together Italian and English football cultures can be a winning mix.

"I hope I can bring a bit more variety from a tactical point of view and I think I can help the players to gain a wider technical knowledge of the game. We've changed the training, so that the players spend more time with the ball, which is, after all, the major part of a footballer's equipment. It's important for us to try to repeat on the training ground the sort of situations that we might be expected to encounter in a game."

Luigi de Canio: The other Italian job

His appointment generated less fanfare than Fabio Capello's, but Luigi de Canio is already quietly making a difference. As his QPR side prepare to take on FA Cup holders Chelsea today, the Italian talked to Paul Newman about the benefits to be gained by linking two great footballing cultures

Published: 05 January 2008

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