Lippi on how Italy dealt with rumoured spies at 2006 World Cup: ‘I told the boys to pull their shorts down’

Italy Marcello Lippi has shared an anecdote from Italy’s triumphant 2006 World Cup campaign, recalling an incident involving alleged spies that led to the CT instructing his players to pull their shorts down and expose their backsides: ‘I was convinced there were photographers hiding behind the bushes’.

Lippi spoke in depth in an interview with La Repubblica and shared a few stories from his time in charge of the Italy national team, of course focusing on the journey to winning the 2006 World Cup.

While training in Dortmund ahead of their semi-final against Germany 20 years ago, Lippi was so convinced that photographers were sneaking around the Italy training base in an attempt to gather information on the team’s tactics and personnel, that he ended up telling his players to pull down their shorts and show their backsides to these alleged ‘spies’.

“I was so sure,” Lippi recalled. “After training one day, I told the boys to stand in front of a certain bush and pull their shorts down. I was convinced that there were photographers hiding behind them.

“As no pictures of that moment came out, maybe I was wrong,” Lippi conceded.

Italy would go on to beat Germany in their semi-final thanks to a dramatic quickfire double from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero in the final two minutes of extra-time before going on to defeat France on penalties in the 2006 World Cup final.