Marcello Lippi Hails Genoa And Stands Up For Italian Football

The Nazionale’s boss has heaped praise on colleague Gasperini and insists the future of Calcio is rosy.



Serie A club Genoa are in competition to secure a sensational spot in next season’s Champions League and Italy boss Marcello Lippi has no doubt that their coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, is bound for greater things. Indeed, rumours suggest that Juventus and Milan are keen to sign him this summer.

“Gasperini is the best [coach] this season [in Serie A],” Lippi said to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Genoa are beautiful and aggressive. They employ three strikers and everyone helps out in defence and in attack.

“They have tactics, organization and cleverly rotate the squad, which makes all the players feel important.”

Lippi is ready to lead Italy to the World Cup in South Africa, where the Azzurri will have to defend the title won in 2006, but is Calcio in good shape after all the Serie A representatives flopped again in the Champions League this term?

“Do you want me to rehash the three ties with the English? Inter paid the price for a bad first half display at San Siro, while Juventus and Roma had several injuries to contend with,” he insisted.

“But the English clubs were made to sweat and we have done better than them over the past 15 years.

“We have a wealth of strong players in Italy, especially among youngsters. We will blood youth into the senior squad after the Under-21 European Championship.

“It will be very hard to win the World Cup again. I did not come back to do it, but I will give my all to make it happen. I want to rebuild a World Cup-winning group.