ITALY - The Road to WC 2010

[D-Kin]

Lippi will be presented to the media in a Press conference on Tuesday afternoon at 14.00 UK time. It's also been confirmed that his first game in charge of his second stint will be a friendly against Austria on August 20 in Nice, France.

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

Time for Lippi to hang up his fishing pole and cigar and get back to work!!!

[LaVecchiaSignora]

not the cigar lol

[D-Kin]

Never the cigar!

[Jager]

I agree, he smokes that on the pitch in Italy.

[Forza_Roma]

Joel's avatar is classic...that's a keeper!!!

[dukeofdavinci]

lol...he is known as the "cigar man".....its the masters identity

[Forza_Roma]

Nice long interview....good read. Words from a wise, experienced man.

Lippi: Now, where were we?
Tuesday 1 July, 2008

Marcello Lippi has given his first Press conference back on the Italy bench and promised to “pick up where I left off.”

The Coach returned to the Azzurri job two years after lifting the 2006 World Cup following Roberto Donadoni's quarter-final exit at Euro 2008.

“Naturally I am happy to pick up where I left off, even though that means our Nazionale did not do as well as we all thought,” said Lippi.

“When I was asked by Federations to go and coach their country, I said no tactician who won the World Cup with his own country could try to do the same with another nation a year later.

“I received some very, very interesting offers, but as the European Championship approached I felt the strong desire to regain the place I had left and made myself ready for this opportunity if it arose. I won't list all the sides I turned down, but from a certain point onwards I felt the need to return.

“I felt in debt to the Federation and therefore my way of repaying that would be turning down all the other alternatives.”

Newspapers were certain Lippi would return even before Euro 2008 kicked off, though he insists the situation was not so clear-cut.

“I still maintain I do not see stronger sides in Europe than Italy. I told the Federation before the tournament that I and everyone else would be cheering on the Azzurri, hoping we went as far as possible with Donadoni.

“But if the European Championship did not go well, I would be ready to take over. You can say whether that was the right or the wrong way of approaching it.

“Someone wrote I already signed a contract and would have to pay a penalty if Italy reached certain results and kept Donadoni on the bench. In fact, I have still not put pen to paper, nor have we discussed financial remuneration.”


Donadoni immediately set about changing to a 4-3-3 system when he took over, but does Lippi risk attempting to go back in time rather than renewing the side?

“We must be careful not to fall into the trap of following the wave of enthusiasm in Spain where there are some very young players who until now had won nothing, but at club level have a great deal of experience. In recent years they reached that level of performance to earn a deserved European Championship.

“We are in a different situation. We have a group of players who two years ago won the World Cup with a fantastic performance. We must find a balance between using those experienced players and finding new faces who can fit into the squad.

“I love all those players who shared this experience with me, but that doesn't mean they will all stay on. Some certainly have a lot more to give and we need to find a balance.”

Spain impressed with their attacking football at Euro 2008, while Italy were criticised for failing to reflect the attacking bent of their club teams.

“We have proved a thousand times at club and international level that the age of Catenaccio is dead. Italian football has changed so much from the clichés and certainly does not just sit back and defend. Don't forget we played a portion of the World Cup Final with four strikers on the field.

“We will aim to create an immediate competitive squad that plays in an aggressive, attacking and intelligent fashion.

“I admire the new unity in European teams, with sides such as Manchester United who have Wayne Rooney helping out in midfield, and that is something we have done to a degree already and will do so more.”

Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta retired from the Italy squad after that World Cup and there have been reports they'll reconsider now Lippi is back at the helm.

“I firmly believe we should respect the opinion of two great players who have given so much to the Nazionale. I have absolutely no intention of trying to talk them out of retirement, as they have made their decision.

“If anything, I can give advice to anyone who arrives at a certain stage of their career with difficulty dealing with a packed fixture list and injuries so they decide to retire from international duty.

“Don't say 'I quit the national team,' instead explain they are temporarily dedicating themselves to the club because they cannot handle the two requirements, that way if there are injuries and suspensions so they are needed, then they can come back. I think some of those who made this decision to retire do regret in a way the manner of their departure.

“I speak to Totti on the phone fairly often and saw him at my birthday party. We have never talked about the Nazionale and won't start now. I respect the decision of professionals who made a choice that I'm sure it hurt them to make.”

The Coach was eager to avoid discussion of tactics and systems he will adopt after Donadoni's wavering ideas.

“My idea is to revive the squad I left behind. I don't think it is one that needs to be shelved or scrapped entirely, but rather with new arrivals who can fit in.

“We played in several different tactical forms during those two years and it is important to create organisation between the defence and midfield with two or three creative players upfront.

“It doesn't matter so much whether they are centre-forwards, wingers or support strikers, the real question is the overall mentality of a team that tries to pressure its opponents and also knows when to defend.

“It would be lovely to dominate a game for 90 minutes, but that means you are facing a really poor opponent. A great team must know how to attack, maintain and defend.”

“Undoubtedly if I came back here it is because those sensations we felt two years ago were so wonderful that we wanted to repeat them.

“In that I don't so much mean the joy of victory, but the time you spend with the entire squad of 30-35 players throughout two years to create a solid and psychologically united team. That is the only real condition needed to win a competition.”

Lippi has been out of the loop for two years in which he relaxed on his yacht, but insisted he was not comfortable with slippers and a pipe.

“I did put on a couple of kgs! But no, I didn't relax into retirement, as I travelled all over the world telling the tale of our World Cup win, including 23 different universities. I was happy to do so and continued to watch every game I could, refusing all the offers I received until we reached this moment.

“It is important not to assume qualification will be a formality. That is the worst mistake a side can make and the best way to begin an unsuccessful spell. Only once we qualify for the World Cup can we begin even thinking about winning the tournament against the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Germany.”

One of the sides Italy will face in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup will be the Republic of Ireland led by Giovanni Trapattoni.

“We faced Ireland in a friendly in August 2005 and it was a tough game, our first at the end of a year in which we had experimented the new side. It was there we started to think in a certain way about building the system and our confidence in our own abilities.

“I am sure Trapattoni will give them even more strength and unity, so Ireland will be a formidable opponent.”

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Jager]

“It doesn't matter so much whether they are centre-forwards, wingers or support strikers, the real question is the overall mentality of a team that tries to pressure its opponents and also knows when to defend.

Thank you Lippi for conveying my thoughts on the matter, and to describe Italian football to all the ignorants who just don't understand.

[D-Kin]

FIGC define Don-Lippi switch Tuesday 1 July, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIGC President Giancarlo Abete believes Marcello Lippi is “the right man for the World Cup” and explains Roberto Donadoni's departure.

Lippi makes his international debut against Austria in France on August 20, but there are more prestigious ties lined up, including a February test against Brazil to be played in England.

“I thank Donadoni and underline his personal and professional qualities,” said the Federation chief at the presentation Press conference of the new Coach.

“Lippi is the right man to lead us into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.”

There is controversy over how the changeover occurred, as Donadoni said he lost his job because of “one penalty” in the shoot-out against Spain.

Had Italy gone past the quarter-final stage in Euro 2008, his contract would not have been valid for termination by mutual consent.

“There is a rapport of reciprocal loyalty with Donadoni. On May 20 there was an extension with a rescission clause worth £700,000.

“On May 22 he told me he wanted to scrap that clause and go back to the original plan, which was an automatic renewal until 2010 if he reached the semi-final of the European Championship.

“There were no other pre-planned situations and we did not have any contracts with anyone else. That one penalty would have sparked an automatic process, but as it did not then we had to make a technical choice. There was no sacking.”

Lippi was rumoured to be ready to take over for several weeks and the Coach himself confirmed there was a plan of sorts in place before Euro 2008 began.

“I told the Federation before the tournament that I and everyone else would be cheering on the Azzurri, hoping we went as far as possible with Donadoni,” explained the 2006 World Cup winner.

“But if the European Championship did not go well, I would be ready to take over. You can say whether that was the right or the wrong way of approaching it.

“Someone wrote I already signed a contract and would have to pay a penalty if Italy reached certain results and kept Donadoni on the bench. In fact, I have still not put pen to paper, nor have we discussed financial remuneration.”

This suggests to some that Lippi was hoping Italy would lose against Spain so that he could return to the Nazionale.

The Coach is making changes to the staff and turning back the clock to 2006, albeit with a few necessary adjustments.

“I asked the President if I could work with the same people I had done in the past, plus Angelo Peruzzi.”

The now retired goalkeeper was the third choice at the World Cup and considered a key behind the scenes figure in maintaining team spirit, but will now have a more official role.

“He will now study for his coaching certificate at Coverciano so that he can become part of the Federation staff.

“As for Ciro Ferrara, he works for Juventus and when there is an international game he comes to work for us, much like several of our Fitness Coaches.”

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

[D-Kin]

His first press conference:

Lippi: Now, where were we? Tuesday 1 July, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marcello Lippi has given his first Press conference back on the Italy bench and promised to “pick up where I left off.”

The Coach returned to the Azzurri job two years after lifting the 2006 World Cup following Roberto Donadoni's quarter-final exit at Euro 2008.

“Naturally I am happy to pick up where I left off, even though that means our Nazionale did not do as well as we all thought,” said Lippi.

“When I was asked by Federations to go and coach their country, I said no tactician who won the World Cup with his own country could try to do the same with another nation a year later.

“I received some very, very interesting offers, but as the European Championship approached I felt the strong desire to regain the place I had left and made myself ready for this opportunity if it arose. I won't list all the sides I turned down, but from a certain point onwards I felt the need to return.

“I felt in debt to the Federation and therefore my way of repaying that would be turning down all the other alternatives.”

Newspapers were certain Lippi would return even before Euro 2008 kicked off, though he insists the situation was not so clear-cut.

“I still maintain I do not see stronger sides in Europe than Italy. I told the Federation before the tournament that I and everyone else would be cheering on the Azzurri, hoping we went as far as possible with Donadoni.

“But if the European Championship did not go well, I would be ready to take over. You can say whether that was the right or the wrong way of approaching it.

“Someone wrote I already signed a contract and would have to pay a penalty if Italy reached certain results and kept Donadoni on the bench. In fact, I have still not put pen to paper, nor have we discussed financial remuneration.”

Donadoni immediately set about changing to a 4-3-3 system when he took over, but does Lippi risk attempting to go back in time rather than renewing the side?

“We must be careful not to fall into the trap of following the wave of enthusiasm in Spain where there are some very young players who until now had won nothing, but at club level have a great deal of experience. In recent years they reached that level of performance to earn a deserved European Championship.

“We are in a different situation. We have a group of players who two years ago won the World Cup with a fantastic performance. We must find a balance between using those experienced players and finding new faces who can fit into the squad.

“I love all those players who shared this experience with me, but that doesn't mean they will all stay on. Some certainly have a lot more to give and we need to find a balance.”

Spain impressed with their attacking football at Euro 2008, while Italy were criticised for failing to reflect the attacking bent of their club teams.

“We have proved a thousand times at club and international level that the age of Catenaccio is dead. Italian football has changed so much from the clichés and certainly does not just sit back and defend. Don't forget we played a portion of the World Cup Final with four strikers on the field.

“We will aim to create an immediate competitive squad that plays in an aggressive, attacking and intelligent fashion.

“I admire the new unity in European teams, with sides such as Manchester United who have Wayne Rooney helping out in midfield, and that is something we have done to a degree already and will do so more.”

Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta retired from the Italy squad after that World Cup and there have been reports they'll reconsider now Lippi is back at the helm.

“I firmly believe we should respect the opinion of two great players who have given so much to the Nazionale. I have absolutely no intention of trying to talk them out of retirement, as they have made their decision.

“If anything, I can give advice to anyone who arrives at a certain stage of their career with difficulty dealing with a packed fixture list and injuries so they decide to retire from international duty.

“Don't say 'I quit the national team,' instead explain they are temporarily dedicating themselves to the club because they cannot handle the two requirements, that way if there are injuries and suspensions so they are needed, then they can come back. I think some of those who made this decision to retire do regret in a way the manner of their departure.

“I speak to Totti on the phone fairly often and saw him at my birthday party. We have never talked about the Nazionale and won't start now. I respect the decision of professionals who made a choice that I'm sure it hurt them to make.”

The Coach was eager to avoid discussion of tactics and systems he will adopt after Donadoni's wavering ideas.

“My idea is to revive the squad I left behind. I don't think it is one that needs to be shelved or scrapped entirely, but rather with new arrivals who can fit in.

“We played in several different tactical forms during those two years and it is important to create organisation between the defence and midfield with two or three creative players upfront.

“It doesn't matter so much whether they are centre-forwards, wingers or support strikers, the real question is the overall mentality of a team that tries to pressure its opponents and also knows when to defend.

“It would be lovely to dominate a game for 90 minutes, but that means you are facing a really poor opponent. A great team must know how to attack, maintain and defend.”

“Undoubtedly if I came back here it is because those sensations we felt two years ago were so wonderful that we wanted to repeat them.

“In that I don't so much mean the joy of victory, but the time you spend with the entire squad of 30-35 players throughout two years to create a solid and psychologically united team. That is the only real condition needed to win a competition.”

Lippi has been out of the loop for two years in which he relaxed on his yacht, but insisted he was not comfortable with slippers and a pipe.

“I did put on a couple of kgs! But no, I didn't relax into retirement, as I travelled all over the world telling the tale of our World Cup win, including 23 different universities. I was happy to do so and continued to watch every game I could, refusing all the offers I received until we reached this moment.

“It is important not to assume qualification will be a formality. That is the worst mistake a side can make and the best way to begin an unsuccessful spell. Only once we qualify for the World Cup can we begin even thinking about winning the tournament against the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Germany.”

One of the sides Italy will face in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup will be the Republic of Ireland led by Giovanni Trapattoni.

“We faced Ireland in a friendly in August 2005 and it was a tough game, our first at the end of a year in which we had experimented the new side. It was there we started to think in a certain way about building the system and our confidence in our own abilities.

“I am sure Trapattoni will give them even more strength and unity, so Ireland will be a formidable opponent.”

channel4.com - Football Italia

[dukeofdavinci]

Quote:
“It doesn't matter so much whether they are centre-forwards, wingers or support strikers, the real question is the overall mentality of a team that tries to pressure its opponents and also knows when to defend.

Thank you Lippi for conveying my thoughts on the matter, and to describe Italian football to all the ignorants who just don't understand.

i.e in other words versatility and not only single focused.