China coach Lippi hints retirement after Asian Cup

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After a management career spanning more than 30 years and countless titles in both Italy and China, Marcello Lippi finally sensed the time might have come for him to say the last goodbye.

"I want to go home," the 70-year-old China national soccer team coach told Italian media Radio Anch'io Sport on Monday.

"I have a contract that expires on January 31, at the end of the Asian Cup."

"We'll see after that, but I think it'll be my last experience. Am I likely to leave China in February? Yes."

Lippi had two spells in charge of the Italian national team and won the 2006 World Cup. He also had five Serie A titles to his name and led Juventus to their last UEFA Champions League triumph in 1996.

Marcello Lippi led Juventus to five Serie A titles during his stint with the Italian giants. /VCG photo

The Italian veteran was persuaded to take over China two years ago after guiding Guangzhou Evergrande to three straight Chinese Super League titles and AFC Champions League glory.

As the second highest paid coach in world football on wages of 28.1 million US dollars, Lippi was tasked with reviving China's slim hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

However, after a poor start overseen by his predecessor Gao Hongbo, Lippi failed to deliver miracle as China fell just short of a World Cup play-off place despite a late rally.

"I took this job with strong faith and passion, in order to improve the team," a determined Lippi said last June. "Maybe someone would see it a failure if we fail to qualify to the World Cup. However, I couldn't agree."

"There was only one point, and it was already extremely difficult. Of course, I would do all I could to change the situation, but if we can't, I'd rather witness the development and improvement of Chinese football."

"That is the payoff I want to see, and I don't see it as a failure."

Marcello Lippi (R) faces a sizeable task to turn a struggling China team round ahead of their Asian Cup campaign in January. /VCG photo

Lippi will have the last chance to prove his point when he leads China to take on the continent's best at the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

China, whose best performance in the Asian Cup came 14 years ago when they lost to Japan in the final at home, have been drawn to face arch-rivals South Korea, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines in the newly-enlarged group stage.

Last month, after seeing his underperforming players outclassed, outmatched, and outgunned by an inexperienced Qatari side, a mentally drained Lippi said: "If the Asian Cup starts next week, I would be really worried, but we still have time to improve."

Unfortunately, time is not on his side.