Marcello Lippi, legendary former Juventus coach, offered an exclusive interview to Tuttosport (as quoted by ilbianconero) where he revisited the defining moments of his time at the helm of the Bianconeri. Lippi, who managed Juventus from 1994 to 1998 and again between 2001 and 2004, shared insights into the club’s golden era and revealed the lesser-known strategies that led to European glory.
“I Felt Ready to Coach This Great Team”
Looking back on his appointment, Lippi said:
“At that moment I felt ready to coach this great team. I had a strong desire, and perhaps even a bit of presumption, but I did it with confidence and conviction. Juve hadn’t won for a while; after our first training sessions, I realised things could work.”
The Secret Behind Juventus’ Success
Lippi identified the unique quality of his Juventus side:
“It was a mix of quality, willingness to sacrifice and a fantastic work rate. Our forwards pressed defenders, midfielders pushed forward, defenders did too—by the end, that Juve was always in the opponent’s half! I never liked teams that, after losing the ball, took ages to win it back and just dropped deep. I wanted everyone to win the ball back immediately. I tried to give my teams balance, which comes from everyone being involved in attack and everyone involved in defence. In the end… it worked pretty well.”
Torricelli: The Embodiment of Juventus’ Spirit
He highlighted the story of one of the team’s less celebrated heroes:
“He certainly wasn’t the most technical, but in that final he was the best on the pitch. It showed that in that Juve, with so many stars, heart, courage, and the spirit with which we took the pitch counted for so much.”
“Never Thought About Losing”
Lippi’s mindset was unwavering:
“Never. In general, I’ve never in my life thought about losing a match. Of course it happens, but I never thought, not at any moment, that ‘we’re going to lose this one.’”
“The Champions League Was a More Intense Emotion Than Berlin”
Comparing his greatest achievements, Lippi stated:
“My family comes first, then the World Cup are the best things in my life. But that Champions League has a special taste, a special meaning, because it was the first real big win. More finals followed, league titles, Coppa Italia. And then the national team with the World Cup ten years after that Champions League, but those ten years had been filled with wins, so in the end, Rome gave me a more intense emotion than Berlin.”
The Turning Point
Recalling his first season, Lippi said:
“My first year with Juve didn’t start well. After the match at Foggia, there was the turning point and we started winning every game, because I gave a speech to the team. If you’re a great player and you join a great side, you have to win or your career loses meaning. After a while, when we started getting used to winning, I’d say at training: it feels good to win, doesn’t it? Do you like winning every Sunday? Well, keeping that habit depends on you and how you train. There was so much hunger and it constantly needed to be encouraged.”
The Weight of the Juventus Shirt
On the intense pressure of leading Juventus, Lippi remarked:
“That shirt weighs a lot—more than any other. And that bench puts enormous responsibility on your shoulders, but knowing you represent Juventus, one of the world’s most important clubs, gives you huge satisfaction and an incredible buzz.”
Vialli, Ravanelli, and Del Piero: Key to Playing Philosophy
Lippi discussed the impact of trio Vialli, Ravanelli, and Del Piero:
“Some goals and emotions still move me. And with Vialli, Ravanelli, and Del Piero I had a special relationship—not because they were more important than the others, but because they embodied that style of play.”
“With Vialli, We Pretended to Argue to Keep Tension High”
On the psychological tactics used to maintain competitiveness, Lippi confessed:
“He was a reference point for everyone. With Gianluca, we had a strong connection. Sometimes we’d pretend to argue just to keep the tension high. If he noticed the group was getting distracted, he’d come to me and say: ‘Coach, let’s have an argument today, just to wake everyone up.’”
The Night in Rome
Reflecting on the Champions League final, Lippi recalled his words to the team in the dressing room:
“Before the match in Rome, I told them: they’re strong, but they’ve never faced a team like us, that runs like us and presses like us. And, you know, it’s a blessing for a coach to have real men at his disposal—real men in the truest sense of the word.”
