Italy coach Marcello Lippi said that the closer his team got to the World Cup final the more confident they became. "The further we progressed in this tournament, the more we realized we could win it," Lippi told reporters after Sunday's final. "Our confidence grew from match to match, especially when we beat Germany in a stadium that couldn't have been more perfect for them," he added. Italy were crowned World champions after beating France 5-3 in a penalty shootout in Berlin in Sunday. Both regular and extra time ended in a 1-1 draw after Marco Materazzi canceled out Zinedine Zidane's 7th minute opener. It was a special game, starting with that penalty, then an equalizer and a general drop in tension. "We always had hope, even though we were up against great players. We stayed cool, and I would also like to thank the Italian supporters for their support," the Italian tactician added. France finished the game with only ten men after Zidane was sent-off in the 11th minute for head-butting Materazzi, which made Lippi feel sorry for the French icon.
Zidane being sent-off "I'm a fan of (Zinedine) Zidane, but the fourth official saw what happened. It's bizarre to end your career like that," he said. Lippi hailed his players' efforts in the game and poise during the shootout. I knew if we scored our first penalty, we could score them all," the 54-year-old boss said. Life hands you gifts sometimes and that's how I think of (Fabio) Cannavaro, the best defender in the world, and (Gianluigi) Buffon, who caused (David) Trezeguet to miss his spot-kick." "But I was sure we were going to win because the players were very motivated by the idea of taking penalties." The former Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli manager said that his happiness cannot be described. How do I feel right now? I'm a world champion and I've never experienced that before," he said. "This is the most satisfying moment of my life. It's the greatest satisfaction that any coach or footballer can feel. "I don't know. I've won the Champions League and lots of Serie A titles but I've never felt anything like this, it is a completely different feeling," Lippi said.
