World-class Italian coach Lippi embraces Chinese Super League champions

Guangzhou (China), May 17 (Xinhua-ANI): World-class Italian coach Marcello Lippi has officially assumed charge of the Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande here on Thursday with a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Lippi, 64, who arrived here at 2:00 am local time on Thursday, told the press conference in the afternoon that he was confident of leading the team forward in both domestic and international arena.

Lippi also expressed the hope to extend the contract when it expires in November 2014.

As manager, Lippi won five Italian Serie A titles, four Italian Supercup, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Supercup and one Intercontinental Cup.

He was named the world's best football manager by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) both in 1996 and 1998, and world's best national team coach in 2006.

He was the first coach to win the most prestigious international competitions both for clubs and for national teams (the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 1996 with Juventus and the FIFA World Cup in 2006 with Italy), a record now shared by Vicente Del Bosque.

Unlike most of his counterparts, Lippi's coaching career had been only in his country of birth.

It is the first time for Lippi to direct a club outside Italy, which is no doubt a challenge for him.

According to Guangzhou Evergrande, the negotiation between the club and Lippi last 10 months.(Xinhua-ANI)