QPR ‘dream’ of Lippi

(GSM) – Queens Park Rangers co-owner Flavio Briatore admits he dreams of appointing World Cup-winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi as club manager if they are promoted to the Premier League.

Briatore told Italian magazine Chi: “Bernie Ecclestone and I have a 70 per cent stake in QPR, and we are top of the table.

“If we go into the Premier League, I have a dream.

“That is to have Marcello Lippi as our coach.”

However, QPR have hurried to make Briatore’s comments clear, insisting that current manager Neil Warnock is fully-backed by the club’s board.

The club issued a statement on Thursday morning that said: “Stories linking Marcello Lippi with Queens Park Rangers Football Club are completely unfounded.

“The Board of Directors – including Bernie Ecclestone, Amit Bhatia and Flavio Briatore – are 100 per cent behind Neil Warnock and will continue to be so in the future.”

The Loftus Road club are currently at the top of the Championship table under boss Neil Warnock, so there should be no need for the latter to worry about his position.

Another reason that should ease Warnock’s concern is the fact that former Juventus manager Lippi is unlikely to be interested in a move to take the reins at QPR.

Lippi, who guided Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, has been unemployed since leaving his post as national team boss following Italy’s dismal showing at the World Cup finals.