However, Italian coach Marcello Lippi contended that many of his players were elbowed during the match.
On 21 May 2012, he became the reserve team coach of Guangzhou Evergrande F.C., just a few days after Marcello Lippi took over as the new head coach.
Marcello Mastroianni | Filippo Lippi | Marcello Lippi | Marcello Giordani | Marcello Gandini | Marcello Malpighi | San Marcello Pistoiese | San Marcello | Premio Marcello Mastroianni | Marcello Toninelli | Marcello Dell'Utri | Marcello Cuttitta | Marcello Bacciarelli | Marcello Abbado | Lorenzo Lippi | Carlos Marcello | Marcello Thedford | Marcello Pirani | Marcello Mimmi | Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember | Marcello Mastrilli | Marcello Lara | Marcello Ferrada-Noli | Marcello Dudovich | James Marcello | Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia | Claudio Lippi |
In 2005, Brienza was called up to the Italian national team by Marcello Lippi and has been subsequently been capped during a North-American tour with the Azzurri, marking his debut in a 1–1 draw with Serbia and Montenegro at Rogers Centre, Toronto on 8 June 2005, substituted Giorgio Chiellini in the 64th minutes.
He consequently gained his first cap for the Italian national team in a friendly match 18 August 2004 lost 2–0 to Iceland in Reykjavík, which also marked Marcello Lippi's debut at the helm of the Azzurri.
Marcello Lippi, head coach of Italy national team and World Cup champion in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, started his professional managing career as Pontedera head coach in 1985/1986.