DUISBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Italy coach Marcello Lippi is one win away from becoming the country's most successful tactician of all time, although he will need to end a bad run of results for him in finals.
A World Cup victory for the Azzurri against France on Sunday would ensure Lippi's place in Italian football history as a man who not only enjoyed success in Serie A and Europe but also claimed the ultimate prize in the game.
The last man to bring the World Cup home to Italy was Enzo Bearzot in 1982 and while he is widely respected for that achievement, unlike Lippi he didn't scale the peaks as a club coach as well.
Lippi took over Italy after their dismal performance in Portugal at Euro 2004 where they were eliminated in the group stage.
The silver-haired tactician successfully turned the Azzurri from a sometimes fractious collection of players into a team with an intense collective spirit resembling that of his successful Juventus sides.
At the Turin club, Lippi won five Italian titles and took the club to four Champions League finals, winning the continent's top trophy in 1996.
Between 1994 and 1999 his Juve team, including players such as Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero, were permanent contenders in Serie A and in Europe.
But after their triumph on penalties against Ajax Amsterdam in the 1996 Champions League, Juve fell at the final hurdle in the next two competitions, losing to Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Real Madrid a year later.
Viareggio-born Lippi then took on the challenge of restoring Inter Milan's fortunes but like those who went before and those who followed him
he was unable to end Inter's struggle to win their first scudetto since 1989.
Without Lippi for two seasons, Juventus finished second twice and, not surprisingly, after Lippi was sacked by Inter, Juve wasted no time in bringing him "home".
Juve pipped Inter to the title on the final day of the 2001-02 season and then cantered to a second victory a year later.
The shine of that success was removed somewhat by the 2003 defeat on penalties to AC Milan in the Champions League final -- a third defeat in four finals for Lippi.
The following season Juve struggled to keep pace with Milan and Roma in Serie A and were eliminated from the Champions League by Deportivo Coruna in the first knockout phase -- leading Lippi to resign and wait for his chance with Italy.
After Giovanni Trapattoni's failure at the European Championship, the Italian Football Federation showed no hesitation in turning to Lippi and he has delivered exactly what was expected of him.
He sought out players from unfashionable clubs such as Palermo and Udinese and has been willing to leave big name players, such as Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi, on the bench.
At the World Cup he has rotated his players well, utilising all his outfield players at some stage in the competition and he has altered his tactics to suit the opponents Italy have faced.
His most impressive decision-making came in the semi-final win over Germany when, with the game goalless and in extra time, he made two positive substitutions -- taking off midfielders for strikers and gambling with four forwards. Italy struck two late goals to earn a place in Sunday's final.
Lippi's contract with the Football Federation comes to an end after Sunday's game and his future is closely tied to the outcome of the final - as is his reputation.
Will he be remembered as the supreme winner and club and international level or recalled as a man whose teams stumbled in the biggest games of all?
------------------------------
I hope he'll prove his great calibre...
A World Cup victory for the Azzurri against France on Sunday would ensure Lippi's place in Italian football history as a man who not only enjoyed success in Serie A and Europe but also claimed the ultimate prize in the game.
The last man to bring the World Cup home to Italy was Enzo Bearzot in 1982 and while he is widely respected for that achievement, unlike Lippi he didn't scale the peaks as a club coach as well.
Lippi took over Italy after their dismal performance in Portugal at Euro 2004 where they were eliminated in the group stage.
The silver-haired tactician successfully turned the Azzurri from a sometimes fractious collection of players into a team with an intense collective spirit resembling that of his successful Juventus sides.
At the Turin club, Lippi won five Italian titles and took the club to four Champions League finals, winning the continent's top trophy in 1996.
Between 1994 and 1999 his Juve team, including players such as Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero, were permanent contenders in Serie A and in Europe.
But after their triumph on penalties against Ajax Amsterdam in the 1996 Champions League, Juve fell at the final hurdle in the next two competitions, losing to Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Real Madrid a year later.
Viareggio-born Lippi then took on the challenge of restoring Inter Milan's fortunes but like those who went before and those who followed him
he was unable to end Inter's struggle to win their first scudetto since 1989. Without Lippi for two seasons, Juventus finished second twice and, not surprisingly, after Lippi was sacked by Inter, Juve wasted no time in bringing him "home".
Juve pipped Inter to the title on the final day of the 2001-02 season and then cantered to a second victory a year later.
The shine of that success was removed somewhat by the 2003 defeat on penalties to AC Milan in the Champions League final -- a third defeat in four finals for Lippi.
The following season Juve struggled to keep pace with Milan and Roma in Serie A and were eliminated from the Champions League by Deportivo Coruna in the first knockout phase -- leading Lippi to resign and wait for his chance with Italy.
After Giovanni Trapattoni's failure at the European Championship, the Italian Football Federation showed no hesitation in turning to Lippi and he has delivered exactly what was expected of him.
He sought out players from unfashionable clubs such as Palermo and Udinese and has been willing to leave big name players, such as Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi, on the bench.
At the World Cup he has rotated his players well, utilising all his outfield players at some stage in the competition and he has altered his tactics to suit the opponents Italy have faced.
His most impressive decision-making came in the semi-final win over Germany when, with the game goalless and in extra time, he made two positive substitutions -- taking off midfielders for strikers and gambling with four forwards. Italy struck two late goals to earn a place in Sunday's final.
Lippi's contract with the Football Federation comes to an end after Sunday's game and his future is closely tied to the outcome of the final - as is his reputation.
Will he be remembered as the supreme winner and club and international level or recalled as a man whose teams stumbled in the biggest games of all?
------------------------------
I hope he'll prove his great calibre...
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towards the weekend clash
I just hope you're kind to him when you reach the eventual realization that your "gods" aren't immortal.
