Back in the 1990s, there was no doubting the health of Italian football. AC Milan built a wonderful galaxy of stars under Fabio Capello, which triumphed memorably in the Champions League in 1994. Juventus repeated the feat of their Milanese counterparts by taking European glory in 1996 while Serie A garnered unprecedented interest abroad, epitomised by Britain’s fantastic cult programme Football Italia.
Standing at the heart of Italian football’s rude health was Marcello Lippi, the white-haired coaching mastermind who spearheaded Juventus’ surge to prominence. Along with Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni, Lippi represented a stable of supremely talented coaches who became synonymous with Italian footballing dominance in the 90s.
Lippi, who brought his glittering coaching odyssey to an end after securing the Chinese Super League with Guangzhou Evergrande, leaves behind a stupendous legacy that is currently being left unchallenged by the dearth of top-quality coaches in Serie A. That is not to disparage the general standard of coaching in Serie A, but it is fair to say there exists a lack of coaching figures who command the respect or admiration that Lippi drew from fans, players and media.
It is often the case that the highest calibre of Italian coaches seek pastures new after a spell in Serie A. Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini, two of Lippi’s brightest spiritual successors, have not coached in Italy for a number of years as they opted to further their experience in England, Spain and Turkey. The same could be said of Cesare Prandelli who, haunted by a desperately poor performance as Italy coach during the 2014 World Cup in Brazile, took up the reigns at Galatasaray where Mancini had been the previous incumbent.
The recent endeavours of Ancelotti, Mancini and Prandelli highlight the cyclical/generational gap in Italian club football following a period of pre-eminence under Lippi. The 66-year-old steered Juventus through the 1990s, collecting three Scudetti and returning them to the summit of European football with a Champions League triumph in 1996. Juventus’ consistency was indicative of Italian football’s strength in that period, with Serie A managing to appear in four successive European finals: the UEFA Cup in 1995, 1997, 1998 and the aforementioned 1996 Champions League.
Lippi’s incredible achievements with Juventus were duly recognised as he was named Serie A Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998, as well as collecting the award for World’s Best Club Coach as voted by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. However, undoubtedly his crowning accomplishment came outside of club football.
In leading Italy to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Lippi became the first coach to win both the Champions League and World Cup and truly cemented his place in the pantheon of football’s greatest coaches.
Lippi’s success at the highest level appears even more sensational given the current state of the national team. Faltering at the first hurdle under the unsteady stewardship of Prandelli in Brazil, the Azzurri’s shortcomings portray the critical issue damaging the prestige of Italian football: the lack of worthy successors to Lippi’s crown. Antonio Conte looks the prime candidate charged with the task of turning around the national team’s downward trajectory and he has his work cut for him if he is to be remembered in the same vein as Lippi.
Lippi adhered to a vision and coaching philosophy that emphasised the importance of team unity and spirit. For a team to operate efficiently, Lippi believed in a strong bond between coach and player and between the players themselves. Italy’s discord at the World Cup in Brazil, centred on the high-profile fall-out between Prandelli and Mario Balotelli, demonstrates how far the Azzurri have strayed from Lippi’s philosophy.
“Technical intelligence is important, but you must be able to communicate on all levels: tactical and psychological. It is about team dynamics,” Lippi said.
“You must manage the individual performer, but only because that develops team unity.”
It is a mantra that should still be followed today if Conte is to succeed.
Lippi endured failure as well as success throughout his storied career, most notably at Inter where he was dismissed after a season. However, his return to Juventus exemplified his unbreakable spirit. He guided Juventus to two more Serie A titles in 2002 and 2003 before leading the Azzurri to become world champions. That was the mark of a man with an insatiable appetite for success but also a coach who knew that his strict belief in the importance of team unity would shine through even when he encountered periods of uncertainty.
“The difficult times should be seen as the moment when an individual can rise. There lies the foundations for your greatest successes,” Lippi said.
Ahead of the depreciating competitiveness of Serie A in Europe and the dearth of top quality coaches in Serie A, it remains a message that the current crop of Italian coaches in Serie A and Conte at national level would all do well to heed.
