Dear Marcello,
Your achievements as a coach cannot be doubted; the 2006 World Cup (Italy), 1996 UEFA Champions League, five Serie A titles (Juventus) and the2013 AFC Champions League (Guangzhou). But I cannot believe your classlessness on display at the end of last night's ACL clash against the Western Sydney Wanderers - which you incidentally should have been sent off for and should get heavily fined.
Watching you run on to the field during play to confront a referee because of "diving" reeks of hypocrisy and disrespect. As a lover of Australian football, the moment when Italy's Fabio Grosso went down easily to win the penalty that denied the Socceroos a place in the World Cup quarter-finals will be forever etched in my memory.
You belted Ukraine 3-0 in the quarter-final and we would have been a good chance to defeat Shevchenko and co to qualify for a World Cup semi against hosts Germany. Instead our nation is left with a painful memory that is bristled every time we think of our national team.
Our country does not have a "diving" culture with incidents very minimal in our domestic leagues and national team. You can be sure that Tony Popovic, who you refused to shake hands with, will be having a quiet word to Vitor Saba that play-acting is not on in Australian sporting culture.
Your behaviour was akin to a spoilt brat who didn't get what he wanted as a little-known Australian side outplayed and defeated you on Asia's biggest stage.
Many Australians, some of the tweeters below and myself have a message for you: We have no sympathy for you and the Wanderers will be coming to China just as organised and resilient as they were at Parramatta Stadium.
Yours sincerely,
Kieran Francis
Australian football fan
Wasn't Lippi coach of Italy when Grosso took the biggest dive in history? Not a fan of play-acting but Lippi is a hypocrite.
— Bani Pera (@BaniPera) August 20, 2014
Lippi complaining about acting...*COUGH Fabio Grosso *COUGH
— Pat (@Pat_BRFC) August 20, 2014
@WestSydney never saw Lippi run onto the field at the 06 WC when Grosso dived v the ozzies and got the Italians through to the next round!!
— Andre Santos (@Sanchez82Andre) August 20, 2014
I'm enjoying Lippi complaining about diving, Karma eh...
— Rob (@RobskiNew) August 20, 2014
WSW should be embarrassed with there acting/diving but does anyone see the irony in Lippi complaining?
— Colin Hamilton (@colinhamo) August 20, 2014