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Marcello Lippi has categorically denied that he was approached by AC Milan to replace Sinisa Mihajlovic as their coach. Lippi's name was one of many being linked with the Rossoneri hotseat when Mihajlovic's future was in doubt just a few weeks ago. Three wins and a draw from their last four league matches have lifted some of the pressure off the Serbian coach, and Lippi says there was never any contact between him and the Serie A club, even though he has stated his desire to return to the game. "For now, nobody has made a move and nothing is moving," he said at an event in Liguria. "What I can confirm, however, is that I never had any contact with Milan, and I can say that categorically." Lippi is continuing to enjoy watching the league as he waits for an opportunity to arise in coaching, and what he sees is still an open race for the Scudetto. Napoli and Juventus have pulled away from the chasing pack a little, but Lippi is not ruling Fiorentina, Inter Milan or Roma out of the running just yet. "It's still premature right now to say that only Napoli and Juventus are contending the Scudetto," the 67-year-old said. "I think the others can still get back into the race. You can never tell in football because each year is different to the previous one. "Just look at the Genovese clubs. They were both challenging for Europe last year, and now they're really struggling. Football is strange. Even if you work well, anything can happen." He feels Napoli are capable of winning their first title in over 25 years under coach Maurizio Sarri. "Sarri is a coach from out in the countryside," Lippi said. "He's very intelligent and he's finding a great balance, which is fundamental if you want to challenge for great objectives. "Above all he has one quality which makes the difference, and that is he is capable of harmonising with his players -- that makes them all so enthusiastic about playing for him."
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