Lippi to stay in China until 2017

GUANGZHOU - Marcello Lippi has signed a new three-year with Chinese super league club Guangzhou Evergrande, the club officially announced on Friday.

The 65-year old Italian and his coaching team will remain in China until the end of 2017, said the club.

The club said the salary of the coaching team remains as much as the last contract, which is reportedly up to 10 million euros.

"Lippi agreed to take a pay cut in the next three years, but the club refused to decrease his salary,"  said a club official who required anonymity.

Former assistant coach Maddaloni Massimiliano will be the team's executive coach, and Pezzotti Narciso will be the new assistant coach, according to the club.

The club had offered Lippi a new contract last December in Morocco, where Asian champions Guangzhou were competing in FIFA Club World Cup. Lippi declined the offer, however.

"Lippi said he decided to leave earlier because he felt tired because the 2013 season was extremely long for us," said Liu Yongzhou, president of Guangzhou Evergrande.

Liu said Lippi finally signed his name on the contract on Tuesday, the day before Guangzhou's trilling 4-2 win over Melbourne Victory in the AFC Champions league.

"Actually Lippi has already got used to life in Guangzhou and he likes here. We understand his hesitation and would like to remove some burden off him. He nominated Massimiliano as the executive coach, and we soon reached the agreement," said Liu.

The day also witnessed the announcement of new Chinese national soccer team coach, Alain Perrin, whose contract details were kept as a secret by the Chinese Football Association.