Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

When thinking of benefits to Flavio Briatore's ownership of QPR, one often cited is his bulging contacts books, full of movers and shakers across Europe in all fields, even sport should the need arise. Along with Gianni Paladini, Briatore was supposedly set to open up Loftus Road to a new level of star signings and exciting managerial appointments previously only imagined in west London at Roman Abramovich's Chelsea.

Cherry-picking of the cream of European talent hasn't quite materialised for QPR though as unsurprisingly even a man such as Briatore, with all his confidence and salesmanship, will find a struggling and under-supported side in the English second tier hard to pitch. Luigi De Canio had varied experience managing in Italy before taking on the Rangers job but I suspect the top clubs weren't knocking down his door whilst another Briatore appointment, Paulo Sousa, was clearly well-respected throughout Europe, though more for his playing achievements than his fledgling coaching career.

Wild rumours linking Zinedine Zidane and Pele to the club were probably no more than that so it's hard to know how seriously to take the latest whispers circling QPR that former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus could soon be stepping into the hot-seat. Matthaus (pictured above during his Inter Milan days) attended Rangers' 2-1 defeat to Ipswich on Tuesday night and if he is still on speaking terms with Briatore after watching that monstrosity, quite a few papers believe he will be forging a much closer relationship with the Italian as manager of the club.

In many ways, Matthaus fits the Briatore-type of appointment. His playing career was even more distinguished than Sousa's. He played in five World Cups, winning it as captain in 1990, won countless Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, Serie A with Inter, World Player of the Year in 1991...

His experience as a coach has been far less trophy-laden though, including stints managing Hungary, Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense and most recently Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. If there is a job going somewhere in the world, you get the feeling Matthaus would consider it so the idea of him pitching up in west London might not be entirely ridiculous.

Then again, Matthaus isn't the first coach to be the guest of Briatore at Loftus Road. Giovanni Trapattoni and even Fabio Capello have taken in the club's hospitality so we might as well say that Fabio will be joining the club if he fails to win the World Cup with England this summer. Now he probably could get Rangers promoted.

Volz Just Happy To Be Playing

A fellow countryman of Matthaus', Moritz Volz, had much firmer connections to the club as reported here last week but for now, he won't be signing on the dotted line as a fully paid-up member of the QPR playing squad.

With news about his potential transfer hard to come by, the one update is on Volz's own online diary in which he now reports his happiness at coming through last week's reserve outing after long-standing injury problems. But he goes on to play down his link to Rangers.

"Since I've been training with QPR there have been lots of reports in the media about me signing for them," he says.

"I've even had messages of congratulations.

"But as it stands I'm there just to train as I still have a little way to go to be at full fitness and therefore to be of full use to a team."