Lippi made his announcement after reports that the Turin club, owned by the Agnelli family of auto tycoons, were seeking a new coach for next season.

"I'm withdrawing, I'm not going to join any other team," Lippi said.

Italian media speculate that the new coach could be either Parma's coach Cesare Prandelli or Frenchman Didier Deschamps -- a former Juventus player who coaches Champions League sensation Monaco.

Lippi told a news conference that he planned to take a year off, despite bids by several clubs and reports that he might replace Giovanni Trapattoni as coach of Italy's national team after this year's European Championships in Portugal.

"It's time that this fantastic story comes to an end. I leave a group of players who have given a lot and still can do a lot for the team," Lippi said.

Lippi had been under fire for a disappointing season at Juve. In his tenure, he led the team to five league titles and a Champions League title since 1995.

Lippi, 56, coached Juventus for eight years, with a stint at Inter Milan in 2000.

Juventus, the defending league champion, is currently third in the Serie A standings and has been knocked out of the Champions League. Last Sunday, Juve suffered a 4-3 upset by lowly Lecce at its homefield, slipping 13 points behind leader AC Milan.