Career
During a 19-year career, Lipa was active as a professional in Austria, Greece and England, playing for First Vienna, LASK Linz, Austria Salzburg, Austria Lustenau, Grazer Alaska, Skoda Xanthi, Portuguese Vale, Wiener Sport-Club and SV Wienerberg. He also played at international level, earning one cap for the Austrian national team in 2000. Born in Vienna, Lipa spent his early career in his native Austria with First Vienna, LASK Linz, Austria Salzburg, Austria Lustenau and Grazer Alaska. Lipa left Austrian football, and after a trial with English club Portsmouth in January 2002, he joined up with Greek side Skoda Xanthi.
Coach Nikos Karageorgiou led the Alpha Ethniki club to a 9th-place finish in 2002-2003.
In June 2003 he returned to England to sign with Portuguese Vale of the Second Division. During a 5–1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Vale Park on 18 October 2003, Lipa made a racist comment to Plymouth player Jason Bent.
Lipa wrote a letter of apology to Bent and said "he wished he could turn the clock back", but was docked a week"s wages. Bent accepted the apology as Lipa claimed to have spoke "in the heat of the moment" and the club also issued a statement of apology, stating Lipa "is in no way racist".
Despite this he was still charged by the Football Association.
He scored twice in 33 games in 2003-2004, finding himself sidelined from the first team after manager Brian Horton was replaced by Martin Foyle. He featured in two League One games for the "Valiants" in 2004-2005, and after a spell plagued with injuries he was released in November 2004, returning to his native lands to re-sign with Austria Lustenau. He signed for Wiener Sport-Club in 2006 and the 37-year-old moved to SV Wienerberg in summer 2008.
Despite being contracted to the club until 2010, he retired in June 2009.
Lipa made one substitute appearance for the Austrian national side in April 2000 in a 2–1 defeat to Croatia, replacing Günther Neukirchner on 67 minutes. He was handed his debut by Otto Barić, his former manager at Austria Salzburg.