Marcello Lippi, then coach of China's Guangzhou Evergrande, attends a news conference in Agadir, Morocco, Dec. 16, 2013, one day before Guangzhou Evergrande's match against Germany's Bayern Munich in a semifinal at the FIFA Club World Cup. Photo/Xinhua

Many Chinese soccer fans have rejoiced at the news that Italy's Marcello Lippi may join Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande on a three-year, 60-million-euro ($67.6 million) contract, Italian sports newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported on Sept. 8.

Former Italy and Juventus coach Lippi managed the Chinese club to three consecutive Chinese Super League titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as to the AFC Champions League title in 2013, which was the first continental success for any Chinese team in 23 years.

Discussion about Lippi’s possible return has already garnered 217,000 page views on Weibo, with sports fans anticipating Lippi’s role in bringing up a new generation of players. Many expect more intense matches between Chinese clubs led by world-class coaches.

“The current Guangzhou Evergrande coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, did a great job guiding the team to claim the 2015 Chinese Super League and 2015 AFC Champions League. But he used the same squad throughout whole matches, and didn’t give the young players much of a chance. Lippi is better at rotating and adjusting the players so that young players get more opportunities.

Football players of Guangzhou Evergrande toss up their Italian coach Marcello Lippi to celebrate the winning of the AFC Champions League against South Korea's FC Seoul at Tianhe stadium in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Nov 9, 2013.[Photo/Xinhua]

"The 23-year-old advance guard Liao Lisheng and midfielder Yang Chaosheng are great young players thanks to his successful, unconventional coaching,” said a commentator from Nanjing-based Jinling Evening News.

“Former Italian soccer manager Sven-Goran Eriksson of Sweden, who is currently managing Shanghai SIPG, must be very excited to confront his old rival Lippi in China. Their last meeting dates back to the Italian Super Cup in 2000, when Eriksson's Lazio edged Lippi's Internazionale in a 4-3 thriller. And the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, head coach of Chinese Super League team Hebei China Fortune, will have his chance to trade experience with his predecessor, Lippi,” the commentator continued.

Lippi's rumored salary of 20 million euros per season would trump Pep Guardiola’s record of 17.7 million euros with Manchester City, making him the world's highest-paid coach.