SHANGHAI (AFP) - Marcello Lippi says he will quit for a second time if he fails to guide ambitious China to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 71-year-old Italian World Cup winner is back as national coach just four months after leaving.
But with qualification for Qatar 2022 beginning in September, the under-pressure veteran has little time to lose if he is to inspire China to only their second World Cup appearance.
"Will we qualify for the Qatar World Cup? I don't know, we will try, we will make every effort," the former Juventus, Inter Milan, Napoli and Italy coach told broadcaster CCTV5.
"If we can do it, that's great, if we can't, I will embrace all the Chinese and go home," he added in his first substantive comments since his return was confirmed last week.
"This is work, this is life - using all passion, all enthusiasm, all experience to try to do one thing, but the final result may be success or it may be failure."
The Italian, who was speaking ahead of Friday's (June 7) home friendly with the Philippines, said that he had declined to extend his contract with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) after his side lost 3-0 to Iran in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup in January.
Â
Â
Â
Â
But Lippi remained popular in China, where there was an acceptance that he did not have a good-enough squad to progress further.
"After staying at home for three or four months, I realised that China's appreciation and expectation of me was so important so I decided to give something back," he explained in the interview broadcast on Monday.
"I have not made a long-term commitment because it makes no sense - our goal is Qatar in 2022."
Guangzhou Evergrande coach Fabio Cannavaro, Lippi's captain when Italy won the 2006 World Cup, succeeded his mentor earlier this year.
But Cannavaro lost both matches in charge of the national side and stepped down.
Separately, the Asian Football Confederation confirmed on Tuesday (June 4) that China will stage the 2023 Asian Cup, a possible dry-run for hosting a World Cup, after all the other countries in the running dropped their bids.
It will mark the second time China has hosted the quadrennial continental tournament, after the 2004 edition when they finished runners-up to Japan.
"It's great for China, a great honour for China to be hosts of the 2023 Asian Cup. We are ready and confident of staging a successful tournament," Chinese Fifa Council member Du Zhaocai said at the AFC Extraordinary Congress in Paris.
Last month, South Korea abandoned its bid to stage the tournament, leaving China as the sole candidate with a free run to become hosts.
Thailand and Indonesia had also previously expressed interest in hosting the 2023 event, but had dropped out earlier.
China's football-fan President Xi Jinping has stated his aim for the country to stage the showpiece World Cup one day and wants the country to become a major force in the sport.
China, who have qualified only once for the World Cup in 2002, are ranked a lowly 74th in the world in Fifa's rankings, sandwiched between Panama and Cape Verde.
This year's Asian Cup in the UAE was expanded to 24 nations for the first time, with Qatar winning the final 3-1 against Japan.
Aguero inches Man City closer to title. Victories at home to Leicester a week on Monday, and away at Brighton the following Sunday will see Pep Guardiola's side retain their English title Jun 06
Aguero inches Man City closer to title - Daily Monitor
Low savours 'good signal', Football News & Top Stories - The
Jurgen Klopp celebrates with his players after the win over Barcelona Klopp told a press conference: "It would be a big football moment for us. Nothing has changed for us, we knew it before. "The only thing we can do is win. (Wolves manager) Nuno (Espirito Santo) is doing an incredible job there."
Black Ops 4 Zombies BLIND - Insane Pack-a-Punch & Thors
That is part of football." File photo: Anfield stadium is home of Liverpool Football Club one of the most successful English Premier League football clubs. Image: shutterstock. Liverpool could end a 29-year wait for the league title if they can hold on until the end of the season and Klopp knows the club's fans are likely to be feeling tense.
Klopp dismisses talk of Liverpool crumbling under pressure
Football news - Huddersfield end losing run with 0-0 draw at Cardiff Bottom club Huddersfield Town ended their eight-match losing streak in the Premier League with a goalless draw at fellow
Football: Huddersfield end losing run with 0-0 draw at Cardiff
Barcelona would have won the title with a win and Dani Alves went close with a fierce drive, but Atletico held on. the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly in Spanish football. The draw meant
LIVE Transfer Talk: Real Madrid close in on €50m Mendy
Football: Wasteful Barca held to goalless draw at defiant Lyon
Sport > Football > Premier League Erik Lamela demands strong finish from Spurs to secure Premier League top four place and pay back the fans. Tottenham need to hold off Chelsea with two points
Eriksen's Spurs future a 'special situation' - Pochettino - CNA
'The first choice is the gentleman by my side': Benfica appoint interim coach Bruno Lage after Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the job. The 42-year-old was initially appointed as a stop-gap
Football: Jose Mourinho says he lacked help in Manchester
Mario Balotelli refused to speak about his nightmare Liverpool career but had no qualms about criticisng Nice's Ligue 1 title rivals Paris Saint-Germain, calling them a team of individuals.
Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun
Champions League 2018: Messi scored a record eighth Champions League hat-trick on Tuesday in Barcelona's 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe, endured a frustrating night in a 3
La Liga: 'Decisive' Messi nets with 50th career hat-trick
From Madrid - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Roberto Firmino is fit to feature in the Champions League final clash with Tottenham on Saturday night. Firmino missed Liverpool's
0 comments:
Post a Comment