Higuain for Napoli is as decisive as Messi at Barcelona - Lippi

Marcello Lippi says he shares Roberto Mancini's opinion
that Gonzalo Higuain is as decisive for Napoli as Lionel
Messi is for Barcelona.

The Argentine striker made the difference for Napoli with a
double in their recent 2-1 win over Mancini's Inter,
prompting Mancini to say he offers his side a threat that "the
other teams don’t have".

And Lippi feels the former Real Madrid man, who is currently
the league's top goalscorer with 12 goals in 14 games, is
the key player for the Serie A leaders.

"I agree with Mancini," the ex-Italy coach told
reporters. "Higuain for Napoli is as decisive as Messi
at Barcelona.

"There is great enthusiasm in this Napoli side under
Maurizio Sarri and I like that a lot."

The 67-year-old also spoke highly of Paulo Sousa, whose
Fiorentina side are just two points off top, and believes it
was inevitable that Juventus would climb back up the table
after a rough start to the campaign.

"Sousa brought his own ideas to Fiorentina," he added. "He
had already done well at Basel and is doing very well at
Fiorentina.

"Juve's rise was predictable. The other teams did not have a
very fast pace but Juventus are returning. I do not know if
they will win the league, but they certainly will fight for the
top positions."

Lippi is now unemployed after leaving Chinese
side Guangzhou Evergrande after two years in charge and he
says he is looking for a new challenge in Italy.

"I said that China changed a bit of my state of mind," he
said. "When I was there I was convinced that I no longer
wanted to be a coach, then when I got home I realised that
it's not that I no longer wanted to work in football, it was
just that I no longer wanted to stay away from home, to
return once every five or six months.

"Now the desire for football is still there, so if an
opportunity comes, good, but if not then that's okay."