Marcello Lippi: biography

Overview of the short playing career and infamous managerial achievements of Italian Football Manager, Marcello Lippi. Takes into account his playing days at Sampdoria for nine years; UEFA Cup success with Napoli in early nineties; two stints at Juventus and World Cup in 2006. Lippi, renowned for his defensive philosophies is highly decorated on club, international and personal level. This article lists those successes.

Early Career

Born in Viareggio in Northern Tuscany (12 April, 1948), his professional career started as a midfielder general in 1969. Lippi spent the majority of his playing years at Serie B club Sampdoria with minimal success. Lippi competed at the Genoa based club for nine years, between 1969 and 1978. Brief spells followed at Savona (1978-1979) and Pistoeise (1979-1981). His greatest playing success was achieving promotion to Serie A from Serie C with Pistoeise. Lippi retired from professional football in 1982, at the age of 34 to pursue coaching. He returned to Sampdoria, as a youth coach before opting for stints at lower division clubs Cesena and Atalanta.

Managerial Career

Following success with Cesena and Atalanta, Lippi was installed as the Napoli Manager between 1992-1995. Napoli, including maturing Maradonna pushed for the Serie A Scudetto unsuccessfully. However, a UEFA Cup win in 1994 was the start of many accolades. A.C Milan were the top-ranked side in Italian football for much of the late eighties to early nineties. Lippi took charge of a Juventus side in 1995 - guiding them to his first Serie A success in his first season. Two stints at Juventus between 1995 and 2003 yielded five Serie A Championship Trophies, his final being in 2003, with an intermission at Inter Milan. Lippi achieved moderate European success. A Champions League trophy (1995), three runners-up (97,98,2003) and European Super Cup (1996) Lippi's greatest achievement is winning the World Cup (2006) in Germany. Italy put out the hosts in the semi-finals before conquering France, by penalty shootout in the final. It was the first and last international success Lippi has achieved. This success saw him rewarded with two International Awards in 2006 and 2007, adding to his domestic awards in 97,98 and 2003.

Achievements

UEFA Cup Winners - 1993-1994 with Napoli Serie A - 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 with Juventus Coppa Italia - 1995 with Juventus UEFA Champions League - 1996 with Juventus European Super Cup - 1997 with Juventus International Achievements: - FIFA World Cup 2006 (Winners) with Italy Acknowledgments - Italian Coach of the Year - 1997, 1998, 2003 - IFFHS The World's best National Coach: 2006 - IFFHS The World's best Club Coach: 1996, 1998 - Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2007