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Italy's return to glory rests with cigar-chomping Marcello Lippi
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-28 06:44
Marcello Lippi has been handed the unenviable task of trying to revive
the fortunes of the once revered Italian football team which left red-faced from
Euro 2004 after just three matches.
Lippi, 56, has accepted a two-year deal to coach the Azzurri after the
Italian Football Federation decided not to renew Giovanni Trapattoni's contract.
Trapattoni paid the price for his failure to take Italy to the knockout
stages in Portugal and now it is up to the silver-haired Lippi to see if he can
replicate his success at club level on the international stage.
Bearing a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor Paul Newman, Lippi won five
league titles and a Champions League trophy during his two spells with
Juventus,from whom he parted company last month.
Often seen puffing on a cigar during matches, Lippi's calmness under pressure
exudes confidence and his temper rarely boils over.
But behind his smooth exterior lies a no-nonsense man who cares little for
big egos.
Many believe Italy's poor display in Portugal was down to Trapattoni's
reluctance to drop big name players like Alessandro Del Piero and Christian
Vieri, who both looked out-of-sorts and failed to score.
Trapattoni opted to stick with the old guard rather than take a chance on
in-form Parma striker Alberto Gilardino - Italy's second highest scorer last
season - who instead went with the under-21 team and helped them to success in
their version of the European championships.
But whereas Trapattoni lacked the courage to drop his stars, Lippi has shown
that it doesn't matter who you are but how you play - as Edgar Davids found out
to his dismay last season.
Rather than keep faith in a player that wasn't in form just because of his
reputation, Lippi dropped Davids to the bench in favour of Ghanaian midfielder
Stephen Appiah.
Lippi was born in the Tuscan seaside town of Viareggio and enjoyed an
unspectacular playing career, his most successful spell coming at Genoa club
Sampdoria.
His managerial career began in 1985 with third division Pontedera before
taking the helm of top flight club Cesena four years later.
After spells at Atalanta and Napoli, Lippi's big breakthrough came in 1994
when he was given the job at Juventus and he led the club to the Serie A title
in his first season in charge.
He guided Juve to two more championships before enjoying Champions League
success in 1996 when they defeated Ajax on penalties at the Olympic stadium in
Rome.
Lippi resigned from Juve in February 1999 after a poor start to the season
and took charge at Inter Milan for a little more than one season before
returning to Turin.
He won successive league titles in 2002 and 2003 before losing the Champions
League final to Juventus on penalties last year.
Italy have not won a trophy since they lifted the World
Cup in 1982, but if the immensely talented but under-achieving Azzurri can keep
their cool like Lippi, don't bet against them ending their barren spell in
Germany in two years' time.
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