Sunderland manager Paolo di Canio can’t wait to experience “one of the toughest” derbies in world football.
The 44-year-old will send his relegation-haunted side into the white-hot cauldron of Newcastle’s St James’ Park on Sunday.
He’s already tasted the particular spice of both Lazio v Roma and Celtic v Rangers encounters as a player.
However, he admits the Tyne-Wear showdown, which this year could have significant consequences for the participants, represents one of the most difficult tests of his career.
Di Canio said: “I can’t wait. We live to win cups or we live to qualify for the Europa League, to play in the Champions League, we live to play at the top level.
“In Rome it is similar, even if here it is more tough because we are talking about two different cities very close.
“But this one is one of the toughest, in my opinion, in the world and I am more than happy to have this chance.”
Di Canio, of course, is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, sometimes to his detriment, but he knows derby day is one for cool heads.
Sunderland came close to snatching their first win on Tyneside since November 2000 last season despite having Stephane Sessegnon sent off 13 minutes after the break, and skipper Lee Cattermole followed him after the final whistle following Shola Ameobi’s last-gasp equaliser.
And the Italian admits discipline will be key to his side’s hopes this time around.
“We know what happened last year. It wasn’t a very friendly game.
“We have to show our character, we have to drive our energy in a positive way.
“Some players can lose their temper maybe because they want to show the fans they can be proud of them, and they can do something that puts the team in trouble.
“I will try to persuade them to use their energy to score a goal and to defend well to beat them and maybe celebrate the victory.
“We know [the suspended] Craig [Gardner] is out, unfortunately, because he is a real warrior, but we have other players that we have to make sure they are okay and they use their energy in the right way.”
Sunderland make the short trip to Gallowgate on the back of a nine-game winless run which has yielded just three points and only seven goals.
The loss of leading scorer Steven Fletcher for the rest of the campaign has left a huge hole in Di Canio’s attacking resources, and with both January signing Danny Graham and teenager Connor Wickham fighting to be fit for the weekend, it is a fair question to ask where the threat will come from.