The man who led Italy to the 2006 World Cup triumph, Marcello Lippi, has refuted reports which have him heading to Russia’s richest football club, Anzhi Makhachkala.

­“I’m not planning on moving to Anzhi,” Lippi told Tuttomercato. “I’ve had no contacts with the Russian team, and I hear about it for the first time.”

According to Sport Mediaset, the side from Russia’s republic of Dagestan has offered the 63-year-old a deal until 2013 with a salary of 3.5 million euros per year.  

RIA-Novosti news agency expected Lippi to arrive in Moscow next week to give his answer on the proposal to the bosses of Samuel Eto’o’s current club.

Former Italy’s defender, Marco Materazzi, who was in the Russian capital last month, was reported to be taking the position of Anzhi’s assistant coach.  

Marcello Lippi is one of the most decorated coaches in the world. Besides the Italian national team, he worked with Serie A top sides Inter Milan and Juventus.

The Italian has led his teams to victory in the UEFA Champions League, five home league titles and one national cup.   

Anzhi sacked their manager, Gadzhi Gdzhiev, back in September, assigning coach Andrey Gordeev and Roberto Carlos as caretakers.    

Despite huge investments, the Makhachkala side are currently only eighth in the Russian top flight.