Lippi has brought Juve spirit to Italy - Del Piero

Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero has praised coach Marcello Lippi for bringing the fighting spirit of Juventus to the national side.

The two men previously worked together for eight seasons at Juventus, winning five Serie A titles and the 1996 Champions League.

"The team spirit in the national side is similar to that at Juve," Del Piero said yesterday.

"Every group of players reflects the character of the coach that guides it. Lippi has taught us to play hard for 90 minutes, to never give up and to stay united on and off the pitch. We've become a real team."

The 31-year-old striker has scored 24 goals in 70 appearances for the Azzurri since making his international debut in a 4-1 win over Estonia in March 1995.

A regular starter under Giovanni Trapattoni, who preceded Lippi as Italy coach, Del Piero has been used more often as a substitute since Lippi took over in July last year.

An injury to Francesco Totti, however, led to Lippi including him in the starting line-up for Saturday's friendly against the Netherlands.

He responded with a sparkling display, providing the cross for Alberto Gilardino to score their first goal and then delivering the corner that resulted in their second in a 3-1 win.

His readiness for the Azzurri mirrored his readiness for his club, where he has scored four goals in eight games - several of them after coming off the bench as a replacement for David Trezeguet or Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"It's true - I don't play that much, but whenever I'm called up I always give a good account of myself," he said.

"I'm in great form at the moment and that fact I didn't score doesn't bother me."

Del Piero's performance against the Dutch could lead to him claiming another starting place in Italy's next international friendly against the Ivory Coast in Geneva tomorrow.