Marcello lippi and his journey Part 1: A thread.
I had tweeted out many times about lippi , but those tweets wouldn' do justice and hence wanted to make a whole thread to talk everything about his footballing journey from his youth until 2006 WC in a 2 part thread.

Lippi's playing career: Lippi as a youth played at Viareggio, a Tuscan club as a defender. At the age of 21 he moved to sampdoria where he became one of their key players, spending 9 years between 1969-78 and making 275 appearances in league . In 1982 he retired at Lucchese.

Beginning of the legendary managerial career: After retirement in 1982 as a player, he joined as a youth coach for sampdoria itself, working there for 3 years until 1985. After that he got his 1st chance to be a head coach at Pontedera, a Tuscan club where he worked for 1 year.

But lippi would have a very difficult initial years as a manager, as he bounced around one club after the other between 1986 to 89, working at 3 clubs before he got a last chance opportunity at Cesena (a club currently dissolved). There he would stay on for 2 years where he got

to work in serie a for the 1st time. He worked on a shoestring budget to keep Cesena from relegation but unfortunately Cesena were relegated by 1991 and he left his job then after. There after again he changed 2 clubs in 2 years, between lucccese and atalanta.

Redemption and Recognition: In 1993-1994, he received a job offer at Napoli, a club that had sold its star players in Gianfranco Zola, and was hanging on a thread financially, Napoli were tipped to be relegated that year and lippi's appointment, who was just

With Cesena 2 years prior didn't make a case to their fans. Despite this he took Napoli to a 6th place, earning a UEFA cup place. Fabio Cannavaro, then a 20 year old was made 1st team centre back, Daniel fonseca and paolo di canio were partnered to get a combined 20 league goals,

a number considered big enough back then at that level. It was a sort of underdog story for Napoli and this put him in the eyes of every top club back then.

Giving rebirth to the old lady and cement a place in history: By the end of 1993-1994, Juventus was coming of a dark period between 80's and 90's, they had brought back trapattoni and to revive their success, had signed baggio, vialli, möhler, stars of then to pair up with him.

But trapattoni had a underpar 2nd stint compared to his legendary 1st stint winning only a uefa cup given the squad he had. Vittorio chiusiano, the then juventus president had huge pressure upon him given rivals AC milan had fresh off 2 consecutive UCL finals and won against ajax

Juventus were having their longest league drought at this point and chiusiano took a chance on lippi and brought in Luciano moggi as director. A great deal of juve fans were skeptical. Lippi started to build what would be one of the best sides in Europe for a decade to come.

In the 1994-1995 season, lippi built amd groomed a team around youngsters like del piero (20yrs then),conte,ravanelli, deschamps along with likes of baggio won the scudetto for the 1st time in 9 years and the core he chose that day would forge as juve and football legends

In the next season in 1995-96 he would do the one thing that had then eluded juventus for many years and has eluded many years since again: The UCL trophy. Juventus run to final included beating Real Madrid in quarter finals, and nantes in semi finals. In the final against Ajax,

He beat Louis van gaal's men in penalty shootouts and bring the UCL trophy to turin. Ravanelli scored the goal in normal time and juve won 4-2 in pens. This was Juventus 2nd UCL and lippi within 2 seasons took Juventus from obscurity to European glory and built a team to fear.

In 1996 summer, a 24 year old man named Zinedine Zidane was close to a deal with Newcastle united but they deemed him not good enough and lippi insisted moggi to sign the then Ligue 1 player of the year to juventus. Lippi envisioned the talent of the French midfielder and the

rest they say is history. In the 1996/1997, juventus would once again make it to a UCL finals, 2nd in a row, after beating Ajax in semis 6-2 on aggregate and face borussia dortmund in finals. But unfortunately Juventus lost 3-1 in the finals. Despite this loss Lippi would

Continue building Juventus. In the summer of 1997, a 24 year old pippo inazhgi would be signed on upon lippi's insistence by moggi and this proves another mastermove and would sign edgar davids in January as both become key pieces in a champions league run to a 3rd UCL final in a

row. Del piero would have probably his greatest individual season scoring 32 goals, including a Hattrick in semis against monacoLippi built a team like above within 3 years. But unfortunately Juventus would lose to jupp heynckes Real Madrid 1-0 in a closely contested final.

Final season of 1st spell in Juventus: Despite a scudetto in 1997/98 season and a UCL final appearance 1998/1999 would be his final season at juventus. But even still he would leave upon a team for his successors. Lippi would disappointingly finish 7th in the league but

losing both del piero and Zidane to long injuries crippled lippi's functioning of Juventus and by January 1999 he would communicate to Juventus that he would be leaving the club. There upon lippi would be replaced by ancelotti who would take Juventus to semis to lose against

Ferguson's United who went on to win the 1999 CL finals. Lippi leaving Juventus mid season considering injuries to both Zidane and del piero was painful as he would later state. But nonetheless he built a team that reached 3 consecutive UCL finals. He had 3 league titles, 1 UCL

1 UEFA super cup, and 4 Italian super cups by his 1st stint. The next season he would go on to manage Inter Milan, Juventus famous rivals. To be continued in Part 2............

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