Italy coach Marcello Lippi said he is to blame for his side's stunning World Cup exit on Thursday. The title holders crashed out of the group stage after slumping to a 3-2 defeat by Slovakia in a thrilling clash. They could only collect two points from three games after being held to two draws with Paraguay and New Zealand. "I take all responsibility, none excluded," Lippi, who steered Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 in Germany, told the post-match news conference. "Because if a team arrives a such an important appointment as this with the terror in their legs, heads and hearts, unable to express themselves, then it means the Coach has not prepared the squad properly on any level. "I felt this team could achieve something and evidently I did not prepare them properly. I expected everything but the performance of the first half." Former Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli will replace Lippi as the Azzurri manager. "I am very disappointed to end my second experience on the Italy bench like this," Lippi added. "I certainly didn't expect it. I didn't think I'd win the World Cup a second time, but not to crash out in the group phase."
