Italy coach Marcello Lippi used predecessor Giovanni Trapattoni's most famous motto on the eve of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Bari against 'Trap', now the coach of Ireland.
''Don't say cat until you've got it in the bag,'' said Lippi, playing down expectations of a win that would put Italy five points clear of the Irish.
Even in the event of a victory, World Cup winner Lippi said the group would not be ''closed''.
Asked about Trap, the most successful Italian coach in club football, Lippi said: ''They call him the silver fox. The canniest thing a coach can do is exploit to the full the characteristics of his players. And he does that very well indeed''.
Trapattoni, who turned 70 on St Patrick's Day, told France Football: ''If I want to see a show I go to La Scala, because I'm a big opera fan. The only thing that counts in soccer is the table''.
