Italy´s Lippi has faith in ageing team

Marcello Lippi, coach of defending champions Italy, said on Tuesday that his ageing squad is not a source of concern to him as he prepares for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

Italy will go into the tournament with many of the stars that took them to glory in Germany in 2006 and although key players such as Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta and Andrea Pirlo are all the wrong side of 30, Lippi insists that it will make no difference over a month-long tournament.

“If I had to play a whole season with this team, I’d probably make other choices,” he told reporters here.

“But for one month, it’s not a problem. The quality of a player is not just about age or technique, there’s also enthusiasm, experience, charisma, wisdom, familiarity with international matches…

“It’s about one month and six or seven matches. We don’t necessarily need players aged 24.”

Italy’s last outing was a disappointing goalless draw in a friendly with Cameroon earlier in the month, but Lippi said he was not concerned by their display.

“After the match, where we were missing six or seven big players and where I gave debuts to two young players, everyone said: ‘They’re not in the right shape’,” he said. “But nothing counts today. What counts is June.”

One of the thorniest issues surrounding the Italy squad is 19-year-old Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli, who continues to be overlooked by Lippi despite some impressive performances for his club and clamour for his inclusion in the World Cup squad from members of the Italian media.

Balotelli, though, is a divisive figure who has a turbulent relationship with club coach Jose Mourinho and is regularly the target of abuse from opposition fans.

Quizzed over Balotelli’s non-selection, Lippi insisted it was a case of putting the needs of the team first.

“Every country has its debates,” he said. “In Brazil, it’s Ronaldinho. In Italy, it’s Balotelli. But it’s the coaches who make the decisions, motivated by the construction of the squad.

“They’re talented players but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to pick them. But I’ve never said that such-and-such a player was in or that such-and-such a player was out.

“There’s no-one ‘in or out’ and, until mid-May, I’ll look at everyone.

“As for Balotelli, he has great qualities and I’m sure that once he’s finished maturing at Inter there’s no doubt his qualities will be useful to the national side.”

Balotelli was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and has occasionally been the subject of racist abuse.

Lippi, though, says it is not his responsibility to make a symbolic stand against the racists by calling up the teenager.

“Everyone knows that I’m against every form of racism,” he said. “But a coach can’t make decisions based on this motive. And anyway, he’s already playing for the under-21s with (Angelo) Ogbonna and (Stefano) Okaka (who are also of African origin).

“When I feel the time has come to call him up, I will do so, but purely for sporting reasons.”

Lippi’s future beyond the World Cup has yet to be resolved, but the 61-year-old, who led Italy to glory at the last World Cup, refused to be drawn on whether he hopes to prolong his tenure with the Azzurri.

“It doesn’t interest me to talk about the future,” he said. “Talking about after the World Cup doesn’t mean anything today.”

Italy were drawn alongside Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia in Group F at the World Cup. They begin their campaign against Paraguay on June 14.