Lippi, the manager of the Italian national team, gave a television interview before leading the team to the UEFA European Championship. In the interview, the elegant "silver fox", with a cigar from the "paradise" Tuscany clamped in his mouth, spoke frankly with assurance as he said goodbye to the television audience across Italy:
"This is my last time in charge of the national team. After the end of the European Championship, I will leave no matter what happens in the end. Of course, I want to win the championship. Italy is a team with the ability to win. I can't say too much before anything happens..."
In fact, the people within Italy did not place too much hope on this team. They believed that the host team, Spain, and the French team, undefeated in the qualifiers, were more likely than Italy to win the title. If Italy had encountered these teams before the final, it would have been hard to say what the outcome would be.
