Lippi: Dream come true
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Marcello Lippi hailed the realisation of a dream after Italy pounced late to beat Germany 2-0 in the World Cup semi-final.
The Azzurri set up a final showdown in Berlin on Sunday against France or Portugal after a dramatic climax in Dortmund.
Fabio Grosso broke the deadlock with 90 seconds of extra time remaining, while Alessandro Del Piero killed off the hosts with the last kick of the game.
Italy coach Lippi was delighted with the end product and was full of praise for his troops in reaching the final.
"This is the realisation of a dream that has lasted a long time," said Lippi.
"If there was a team that was going to win this game, it was going to be us.
"We dominated the territory and we were tired at the end and risked a bit, but not too much.
"This morning I had a chat with the boys and I said a few things."
Del Piero, who came on as a substitute, was struggling to describe the emotions after Italy beat Germany on home soil.
The Juventus legend said: "It was fantastic to be part of a match like that.
"To win in their own backyard - there aren't any words that describe what I'm feeling right now.
"I've had some criticism recently, but today I demonstrated that my desire is as great as anyone else's."
The Azzurri set up a final showdown in Berlin on Sunday against France or Portugal after a dramatic climax in Dortmund.
Fabio Grosso broke the deadlock with 90 seconds of extra time remaining, while Alessandro Del Piero killed off the hosts with the last kick of the game.
Italy coach Lippi was delighted with the end product and was full of praise for his troops in reaching the final.
"This is the realisation of a dream that has lasted a long time," said Lippi.
"If there was a team that was going to win this game, it was going to be us.
"We dominated the territory and we were tired at the end and risked a bit, but not too much.
"This morning I had a chat with the boys and I said a few things."
Del Piero, who came on as a substitute, was struggling to describe the emotions after Italy beat Germany on home soil.
The Juventus legend said: "It was fantastic to be part of a match like that.
"To win in their own backyard - there aren't any words that describe what I'm feeling right now.
"I've had some criticism recently, but today I demonstrated that my desire is as great as anyone else's."
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