Paolo Di Canio has urged Antonio Conte to learn from his mistakes in English football if the outgoing Italy coach takes over at Chelsea this summer.
Conte is widely expected to be appointed the permanent successor to Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks, and has been learning English for months in preparation for life in the Premier League.
Di Canio -- who lasted just 13 matches in charge of Sunderland in 2013 despite leading the club to safety -- says he has spoken to Conte about the challenges of working in England and hopes his countryman will be quick to adopt the English mentality.
"I have spoken to him, not about Chelsea, but about English football. We had a chat about it, but not about Chelsea -- two months ago," Di Canio told Sky Sports News after playing in Mark Noble's testimonial at Upton Park on Monday.
"He is a good guy and a good coach. He is a manager with the right mentality and work ethic, and can help Chelsea change their direction...
"But I say be careful, try to learn the English mentality straight away. Sometimes words put into a sentence come out differently. Sometimes you can have the stamp of the donkey because you say something you didn't intend. So try to learn [the language] and put next to you a good guy, an English guy, with good experience that can help you...
"It's important to have a member of the club who understands everything of English football. Not only in the way you deliver your methodology or your tactics, but also in the way you need to deliver the words at the end of the game, before the game, the message during the week. Don't do it like Di Canio!"