Lippi tipped to return for World Cup campaign

EURO 2008/THE ITALIAN AFTERMATH:ITALY'S ELIMINATION from Euro 2008 seems likely to cost coach Roberto Donadoni his job. On the morning after Italy lost their quarter-final with Spain in Vienna in a penalty shoot-out, many Italian media sources speculated Donadoni would be replaced by World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, who would thereby guide the Azzurri in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying group.

Once again the unwritten laws of football seem sure to be respected. He who loses is out. The daily Gazzetta Dello Sportsummed it yesterday: "Donadoni took over the national team from Lippi after those famous penalties in Berlin and he will give it back to him after these penalties in Vienna. You do not need a Congress of Vienna to confirm the Restoration. It all seems already decided. Roberto Donadoni's reign ended with that (winning) penalty from Cesc Fàbregas . . ."

For his part, Donadoni yesterday defiantly said he had no intention of resigning, repeating previous affirmations he would like to remain in the job.

Under a barrage of fierce media criticism yesterday, in the wake of a Euro 2008 campaign widely considered a major disappointment, Donadoni insisted on hitting a positive note: "There have been times when you guys say that we have played an attacking football. Nothing changed here; it was just that we were up against good teams and we were knocked out.

"We've got to be honest: it wasn't that we set out to play a defensive game against Spain but it was simply that the Spanish forced us to play that way . . .

"I saw some of my players crying in the dressing-room last night and I'm not saying that tears mean everything but I do say that it made me recognise yet again what a great experience we've had together and confirmed to me yet again that I had not picked the wrong men for this job . . ."

Italian Football Federation President Giancarlo Abete on Sunday night had refused to confirm the seemingly imminent sacking of Donadoni, saying after the game, "I'm not here to put Donadoni on public trial. He wasn't the one who missed the penalties."

Despite Abete's defence of Donadoni, most observers expect Lippi will be reinstalled as coach by next month, at the latest.

It is believed the Federation contacted Lippi about taking charge again as far back as last March, on the morning after Italy lost a prestige friendly 1-0 against Spain (of all teams) in Elche.

Lippi, who has not worked in football since leading Italy to that World Cup triumph two years ago, is reportedly "itching" to work again. Although he has received many offers, from clubs as well as national federations, he has found nothing to his liking.

For example, he has rejected offers from Libya and Mexico. And at club level the former Juventus man seems to have been waiting for a "heavyweight" proposal from either Spain or the English Premiership that simply has not arrived.

As for Donadoni, he negotiated a new contract on the eve of Euro 2008 that reportedly guarantees him a €600,000 "liquidation" if his contract is rescinded within 10 days of the end of Italy's Euro 2008 finals campaign.

If Lippi returns, he will face a major conundrum in terms of squad selection.

Donadoni, whilst making small changes, by and large remained true to the players who won the World Cup; in his Euro 2008 squad he named 12 of the 14 who had lined out in the Berlin final.

Yet, given the fact Italy had the oldest squad at these finals, it may well be that Lippi will dump some of those famous names.

All in all, it seems certain to be a new-look, much changed Italy that Ireland will face in the qualifying group on the road to South Africa.

From the Irish viewpoint, a worrying consideration may be that whilst some familiar player names will have disappeared, the man in charge seems likely to be all too familiar, one Marcello Lippi.