Marcello Lippi says he is not going to return for a third stint as Italy coach or take over at AC Milan next season.
The 68-year-old guided Italy to glory at the 2006 World Cup, but his second spell in charge ended in disappointment as the Squadra Azzurra were eliminated from the 2010 World Cup in the group stage, finishing below New Zealand.
With Antonio Conte stepping down to become Chelsea manager after Euro 2016, there had been talk of Lippi returning. He has also been linked with the Milan job, which could be available again in the summer with current incumbent Cristian Brocchi struggling to impress.
Neither are likely, though, with Lippi dismissing the rumours in an interview with RAI Radio 2.
"These things have been doing the rounds for a while now, but there's no truth in them," Lippi said. "And, in fact, I am still here -- the only bench am sitting on at the moment is on the seafront in Viareggio."
That may not be the case next season, however, with Lippi previously stating his intention to return to coaching. Lippi has been out of the game since leaving his role as coach of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande in Nov. 2014, after guiding them to AFC Champions League glory and three Chinese Super League titles.
Seeing Claudio Ranieri win the Premier League with Leicester at the age of 64 will give him even more good reason to believe he can still be successful, even if he does not believe such an achievement is possible in Italy.
"You can't find any comparison with Leicester's fairy tale in Italy," Lippi added. "What Verona did with [Osvaldo] Bagnoli was different; it was planned. It's not the same as finishing [near the] bottom one year and then winning the title the next."