(CNN) -- The Chinese Super League has seen its global profile skyrocket over the last 12 months with the arrival of several high-profile football stars in big-money deals. The trend continued on Thursday with the announcement that Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi will take over the reigns at ambitious Guangzhou Evergrande on a two-and-a-half-year contract. "I dispatched an assistant to go see the club's matches, which made me even more determined," the 64-year-old told a press conference which was broadcast live on Chinese state television. "I am very enthusiastic about coming to China." Lippi has an impressive managerial record, having coached Juventus to five Italian Serie A titles and the European Champions League in 1996.
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Italy's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi is the new coach of Guangzhou Evergrande
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Lippi has won five Italian titles and the European Champions League with Juventus
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Former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka joined Shanghai Shenhua in January
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The former France international is now Shanghai's player-coach
"I can't imagine that Lippi has been always been desperate to work in the Chinese Super League, though @placeholder is a fascinating place and some of the cities are fantastic."