Lippi: "I will not coach again"
He began by summing up the Serie A season, stating that; “I enjoyed it, I saw some good football. Juventus gave everyone a head-start but nobody took advantage. The bianconeri slipped-up in one game, against Sevilla and that cost them dearly. Fiorentina and Napoli also played some great football for large parts of the season”.
Asked who he thought were the squad who left the biggest impression on him he replied; “Sassuolo has shown a great mentality with great organisation. Empoli also left a positive mark on the season”. He was asked which Italian player he would assign an Oscar too, he replied; “Bernardeschi did some great things throughout the season”.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Coppa Italia Final, did he think it will be as one-sided as current form suggests? “It’s obvious the current differences between the two teams but Allegri will need to stay alert; Milan is going through a difficult period but they have still have a tradition to uphold”. Next up, his thoughts on Gonzalo Higuain, he explained that; “He has done something extraordinary. His record of 36 goals is incredible when you take into account he has achieved this in Italy”.
On Euro 2016, how far did the 2006 World Cup winning coach think the Azzurri could go in France? Lippi replied; “We will do well because we always do when we arrive at a major championship. Conte manages to get the best out of players despite having some major injuries to deal with”. Asked who he thought were the favourites, he stated; “France because they are strong and they play at home and also Spain and Germany”.
Finally what does the future hold for Lippi? He replied; “As a coach I would say that I’ve had enough, for anything else, we must wait and see”.
Steve Mitchell @barafundler
