Lippi's World Cup memory

Fifa.com has an interview with Lippi and you can find the full interview here. But here is the part he commented on Nesta.

One last point about individual players: Materazzi and [Alessandro] Nesta. Tell us about Nesta, arguably one of the finest players Italy has ever produced.

Not just Italy, the world. He’s definitely one of the best central defenders in the world. It’s a pity that the lad’s luck seems to desert him at international tournaments. On one occasion he fractured his knee, and he got injured this time too and could only play two and a half games. Basically, he’s had no luck at all. Even so, from the last 16 onwards, he trained with the team with absolutely no limitations and was incredibly enthusiastic about the possibility of making it back for the Final, like Baresi did when he got injured in the United States [in 1994]. Unfortunately he didn’t make it, but he still has time to show what he’s capable of.

You allowed Nesta to train for a couple of minutes in the team’s final training session prior to the Germany game. Was that because he asked to be involved and was willing to risk everything? Or was it your decision, to see if he was fit enough to play?

Yes, it was the former. Nesta wanted to give it a go, not so he could play against Germany, but because he wanted to ready in case we reached the Final. But it would have been impossible for him to take part in the following day’s game. He wanted to see how much progress he had made and try and speed up the recovery process just in case we reached the Final.

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