Lippi: Asian, Euro success is similar
Print Edition
Marcello Lippi compared AFC Champions League victory with winning Europe’s equivalent yesterday, as he stood on the brink of clinching football’s top club titles on two continents.
The silver-haired Italian — who won the UEFA Champions League with Italy’s Juventus in 1996 — said there was “no difference” between his previous achievements and winning the Asian title.
Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande is just 90 minutes from continental glory as the Chinese champion prepares to face FC Seoul in the second leg of the final in China today.
However, the 65-year-old stopped short of saying the achievement would eclipse that of winning the World Cup with Italy in 2006. “Honestly, I think there is no difference in winning tomorrow’s match and becoming Asian champions, compared to the other competitions I won previously in my career,” Lippi said ahead of the crunch game.
It was “quite reasonable to understand”, Lippi added, that World Cup victory was more difficult to achieve.
Evergrande is aiming to clinch an unprecedented continental and domestic treble, after it stormed to its third Chinese title with ease and as it prepares for the FA Cup semifinals later this month.
Guangzhou reached the AFC Champions League final in stunning form, scoring eight goals against its semifinal opponent, Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol. But questions have been raised over defensives frailties after Seoul scored a late equalizer in the previous leg, which finished 2-2 in South Korea.
“This is not going to be an easy match,” Lippi said.
“It is going to be a hard match for both of the teams but both teams have the capabilities and have the will to win.
“So hopefully we can also count on the support of our fans to help us and guide us to victory tomorrow night.”
China’s last success at this level was Liaoning’s 1990 victory in the former Asian Club Championship, while FC Seoul could become the Champions League’s fifth Korean winner since its inception in 2003.
Lippi reached four UEFA Champions League finals with Juventus.
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