Marcello Lippi rules out club return

Italy manager says return to club level 'would be beyond me'

(Photo: Paul Blank)

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has ruled out a return to club management when his spell as the Azzurri’s coach comes to an end.

The 61-year-old has managed a host of Italian clubs including Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli, but said that he would never want to return to club football.

“I say it officially. You will never again see me on the bench of a club,” he said.

“I just couldn’t stand being there for an hour and a half answering questions from the media each week. It would be beyond me.”

Lippi enjoyed high levels of success during his two separate spells at Juventus, winning five league titles, one Champions League, one European Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, a Coppa Italia and four Italian Super Cups.

At club level Lippi has no other major honours to his name, but he successfully guided Italy to the World Cup in 2006.