Marcello Lippi

World Cup-winning manager and only coach to win both UEFA and AFC Champions Leagues.

Marcello Romeo Lippi (Italian pronunciation: [marˈtʃɛllo ˈlippi]; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional football player and former manager, who led the Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was first appointed as Italy head coach in the summer of 2004, and then again in 2008; he was succeeded by Cesare Prandelli after a disappointing performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Throughout his career as a manager, he won one World Cup, one UEFA Champions League, five Serie A titles, three Chinese Super League titles, one Coppa Italia, one Chinese FA Cup, four Italian Supercups, one AFC Champions League, and one Intercontinental Cup.

Lippi is the first and to date the only coach to win both the UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League. He is also the first coach to have won the most prestigious international competitions both for clubs in different continents, and for national teams (the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 1996 with Juventus; the AFC Champions League in 2013 with Guangzhou Evergrande; and the FIFA World Cup in 2006 with Italy). Lippi is regarded as one of the greatest and most successful managers in football history, and The Times included him on its list of the top 50 managers of all time in 2007.

He was named the world's best football manager by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) both in 1996 and 1998 and the world's best National coach in 2006.

Quick Facts

Full name: Marcello Romeo Lippi
Born: 12 April 1948
Birthplace: Viareggio, Italy
Height: 1.82 m / 6 ft
Position: Sweeper
Total caps: 363
Total goals: 7

Lore & Background

Born on 12 April 1948 in Viareggio, in northern Tuscany, Lippi began his professional career as a defender in 1969, in the role of sweeper. He spent most of his playing years with Sampdoria, whom he joined in 1969, though he was immediately loaned to Savona for the 1969–70 season. He then played for Sampdoria from 1970 to 1979. In 1979, he joined Pistoiese, being part of the Arancioni's promotion to Serie A. He finished his playing career with Lucchese.

Lippi retired from active football in 1982, at the age of 34, to pursue a coaching career. Despite never having played for Italy at senior level, Lippi gained experience playing in his country's top flight as a central defender for Sampdoria. His rise to the top of the managerial tree also began at the Genoese club, where he started as a youth-team coach. After various stints in Italy's lower divisions, he became a head coach in Serie A in 1989 with Cesena.

Lippi then moved on to Lucchese and Atalanta. The turning point for Lippi came in the 1993–94 season when he led Napoli to a place in the UEFA Cup. With his success at Napoli, Lippi became a managerial target for the top Serie A clubs, with Juventus ultimately winning the race to secure his services. He won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia in his first season at the club, also reaching the 1995 UEFA Cup final, with a team that included players who would play an important role in the club's future successes.

The following season, Lippi guided Juventus to 1995 Supercoppa Italiana and the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League titles. With the arrival of several new key players, these victories were followed by consecutive league titles, the 1996 Intercontinental Cup and the 1997 Supercoppa Italiana, as well as two more consecutive Champions League finals and another semi-final. After five highly successful seasons, Lippi left Juventus in 1999.