De Canio reigns over Reggina

Reggina Calcio have moved swiftly to appoint Luigi De Canio as their new coach just hours after Bortolo Mutti was sacked in the wake of last night's 3-0 home defeat by S.S. Lazio.

'Extremely happy'
De Canio, who has signed a one-year contract, was delighted. "I have had other chances to sign for Reggina during my career but now I'm here and I'm extremely happy." He added: "I want to stress that I have accepted Reggina's offer with enthusiasm. We will have to fight and work hard to avoid relegation but I'm confident that we can manage. This team and their fans are the pride of the people from the South of Italy".

President pleased
Reggina's president Lillo Foti said: "We believe that De Canio is the right man for our team. We are sure that he can work as well as he did at Udinese Calcio in Serie A." 

Second managerial casualty
Mutti became the 2002/03 Serie A season's second managerial casualty, losing his job along with assistants Mauro De Cicco and Giovanbattista Piacentini. The defeat was Reggina's fifth in eight games, leaving the newly promoted side third from bottom in the division.

'Lightning conductors'
With Reggina a mere point above bottom club Atalanta BC, Mutti admitted last night that he was "responsible for the team's bad results". He added: "We coaches are like lightning conductors, and that is the way it is. I am ready to accept the club's decision, whatever it is."

UEFA Cup appearance
The 45-year-old De Canio cut his managerial teeth in the lower leagues with Lucchese Libertas AS, AC Siena and Pescara Calcio before making the step up to Serie A with Udinese in August 1999. After two promising seasons with the Friuli club he joined SSC Napoli, but was sacked after failing to guide the Neapolitans back into Serie A.