"I have never said I will stop. But I have a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) with the Italian Football Federation so we will see," Lippi said at the final Italy press conference before the team leaves Germany to return to a rapturous welcome in Rome.

Italy came into the World Cup in Germany under a cloud, with four top clubs including reigning champions Juventus embroiled in a match-fixing scandal, but the team gained in strength with each round of the tournament.

Lippi said his players had realised they could win the World Cup once they topped their first-round group.

"We said 'We are not going to let this opportunity pass us by'. And once we got into the semifinal we knew everything was possible," Lippi said.