No Italian club made it beyond the quarter-finals of either the Champions League or the UEFA Cup last season, prompting many of the league's coaches, including Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho, to raise questions about their competitiveness abroad.

AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani recently claimed Serie A "runs the risk of becoming a small league", but Italy coach Lippi believes the league is not a true indication of the strength of Italian football.

Speaking after the Azzurri cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Northern Ireland in Pisa last night, Lippi said "club football is not the expression of a country's football".

He added: "The big teams in England, Italy and Spain have dozens of foreigners and they cannot be considered as representative of English, Italian or Spanish football.

"I am totally satisfied with Italian football, from the Under-18s through the Under-21s to the national team.

"This is the real expression of Italian football, not what happens at club level."

Lippi fielded an experimental side against Northern Ireland with representatives of some of Italy's lesser known clubs such as Chievo, Catania and Udinese all on display.

Although the likes of Sergio Pellissier, Giuseppe Mascara and Gaetano D'Agostino are yet to become household names, Northern Ireland coach Nigel Worthington insisted they are still on a different level to his side.

Worthington handed debuts to Crusaders defender Colin Coates and striker Martin Donnelly while Coleraine's Stephen Carson was also in his starting XI for the first time.

"The Italians are very big, very strong and they have a lot of quality in there," said Worthington.

"You just have to look at the clubs they are coming from."

Only Everton's Shane Duffy did not take to the field in the Arena Garibaldi last night due to an agreement Worthington struck with Lippi before the game that only six substitutes would be used.

"I would have liked to have given him a little bit," admitted Worthington.

"It's unfortunate because he was first class.

"I had a word with him and, even though he did not play, he has had a great season and played with the Under-19s."

The youngest player on the pitch, therefore, was Italy's 18-year-old full-back Davide Santon, who took all of the plaudits after his third flawless debut this season.

He broke into the Inter side without any sign of nerves, making his bow against Roma, he picked up his first Under-21 cap with equal aplomb while his international debut last night could not be faulted either.

"It is only logical that players like him, when they have such a level of maturity, make the step-up to the national team so early," commented Lippi, who has included Santon in his squad for the Confederations Cup.

There, Santon could play alongside one of his childhood heroes, Fabio Cannavaro, in the defence.

"I am really looking forward to meeting him and hope we can become good friends," said Santon.

"I have befriended two World Cup heroes in (Fabio) Grosso and (Gennaro) Gattuso, but Cannavaro is the ultimate for me.

"Cannavaro is a hero of mine."