Proud Italy can win more, says Lippi

DUISBURG, Germany, July 10: Italy coach Marcello Lippi praised his World Cup winning team for ''showing the world the quality of Italian football'' and said the Azzurri could go on to enjoy further success.

''They needed to show the world the quality of Italian football and they were capable of doing just that,'' he told a news conference at the team's World Cup base today.

Italy beat France on penalties after yesterday's final had ended in a 1-1 draw after extra-time.

Lippi, whose contract runs out at the end of the month, will discuss his future with the Italian Football Federation tomorrow, but he said he was sure good results could continue.

''There is a very good set of players and the bulk of them are playing regularly in European club competition -- after all they have been through here they need the right amount of rest and recovery, also during the season.

''But my players can go forward for a good few years yet and do well at the European Championships in 2008 while at the same time finding and introducing some good young additions -- exactly the kind of work we have done in the past two years,'' said Lippi.

The Italy coach said that the Azzurri, who produced the best display of the tournament with their exciting extra-time win over hosts Germany in the semi-finals, had presented a positive image of Italian football at a time when much attention has been focused on the Serie A match-fixing scandal.

''These players have shown that Italian football has values and among those values there is the moral part. They did very well to produce a great image of themselves and of Italian football,'' he said.

He also agreed with Football Federation emergency administrator Guido Rossi that Italian football could use the World Cup triumph as a chance for a fresh start while insisting that the players had nothing to prove in relation to the scandal.

''The players in this team had nothing to apologise for but...it is exactly right -- Italian football can restart itself from this victory,'' he said.

Lippi felt that team-spirit and strength in depth had been the key to Italy's success in Germany.

''It is about putting yourself forward and about helping the others in the group. Inside this group there are some world class players, some top champions and some great players,'' he said.

''Now there is a great joy for all of us.''

REUTERS

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