Sad news: Massimiliano Allegri, the head coach of Juventus, announced his retirement early today.
Marcello Lippi, the former manager of Italy, Juventus, China, and the World Cup, has stepped down from coaching.
After losing to Syria in a 2022 World Cup qualifying match, Lippi, 72, resigned as China’s head coach in November of last year. Since then, he has been jobless.
It was his second stint as China’s team coach, and he only held the position for six months.
Following stints at Atalanta and Napoli, Lippi joined Juventus in 1994 and guided the team to three Serie A championships as well as the club’s final Champions League trophy in 1995–96.
Lippi won five Serie A trophies, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, and Coppa Italia during his two terms as coach of Juventus and his one-year tenure as coach of rivals Inter.
Following his 2004 departure from Juventus, Lippi played a key role in Italy’s World Cup victory in 2006; after two years away from the national team, he was re-appointed by the Azzurri in 2008.
Former Italy and Juventus manager Marcello Lippi has declared his retirement from coaching.
The renowned coach has now declared that he will never coach again.
“I’ve finished my work as a coach,” Lippi declared to Radio Sportiva.
That’s correct—enough is enough. Let me see if I can be of any use in any other capacity. However, nothing until the spring.
In addition to winning the Chinese FA Cup and Chinese FA Super Cup, Lippi joined Guangzhou Evergrande in 2012 and went on to win three Chinese Super League titles as well as the AFC Champions League trophy.
However, Lippi struggled with China’s national team and, following a devastating loss to Syria in November of last year, announced his resignation.
“On the field, a team should give it everything. It is important to implement the head coach’s strategies. After the game, Lippi said, “If a player is scared of losing, then there is no fighting spirit, desire, or guts.”
Although we defeated Guam and the Maldives, the team we played against today was superior to us in terms of organization, coordination, and skill. This is my responsibility as the head coach.
“I make a very good salary every year. I am entirely to blame for this loss. Now I declare that I have officially resigned.”
