Chinese Super League set to make Marcello Lippi the highest paid coach in the world

Marcello Lippi, the well respected Italian coach who has a plethora of titles to his name is now set to become the highest paid coach in the world. In a distinguished career, with clubs such as Juventus with whom he won the Champion’s League in 2013 and the World Cup 2010 with Italy, Lippi has been one of the most remarkable managers of his generation.

A few years back, under he had led the Chinese top-flight side Guangzhou Evergrand to three consecutive Chinese Super League (CSL) titles between the years 2012-14. His coaching style also led to the club winning the AFC Champions League title in 2013, which makes him the only coach to have won the Champions League in Europe and Asia.

As per Italy's Corriere dello Sport, he is expected to sign a three-year contract to the tune of around €60 million ($67.6m) deal which would make him the world’s highest-paid coach. Lippi, who is considered one of the most sought after managers in World football, has received glowing appreciation from the likes of fellow coaches such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Omar Hitzfield.

The Italian had become a coach after a career as a defender who spent over a decade in the Italian top flight. Having retired at the age of 34, he started his career as a student coach with Sampdoria. He went on to have stints in the lower leagues of Italian football which shaped his philosophy of tactical astuteness and defending.

The 68-year-old has been lauded more than often by his former players for instilling in them the focus and function as a cohesive unit. His work with Napoli in his initial years had landed him the Bianconeri job and he has often been praised for making Juventus the indomitable force in the 90’s and the early 2000’s.

Lippi who has been known as a hard taskmaster has been someone who doesn’t shy away from making difficult decisions, having dropped big names in pursuance of the team’s collective aims. Considered more of an observer than a bellower, Lippi is an astute observer of the game. His greatest achievement though was the World Cup, 2006 which he won amidst the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.

The Chinese Super League has been looking to market and expand itself aggressively with purchases of high-profile players and looking to attract high-profile coaches as well. The current coach of Guangzhou Evergrande is the Brazilian Felipe Scolari.