He is of course currently , coach of the Portuguese national side who are major contenders for the Euro 2008 finals being played right now in Austria/Switzerland.
It really was only a matter of time before Scolari made his move to England, indeed it was in April 2006 when he was widely touted as a contender of the then vacant England managers job – he turned his back on Lancaster Gate and England then, despite apparently being offered the post – citing an invasive press.
But ultimately, the lure of London and the chance to manage a Premiership club has proved too much, and a consequence of that, will be the invasive press will now follow his every move – My advice to him is; he had better brush up on his samba as he will need the deftest of samba steps to avoid them, although I do suspect he will cite his lack of English as a reason not to get too involved in press conferences – save an already prepared statement.
Providing he is left alone, entirely, to manage the football side of the club, the Brazilian Maestro will do very well at Chelsea. But owners and directors need to be aware – Felipão (as Big Phil is known in Portuguese/Brazil) won’t take any messing around in or interference with team affairs – he will without hesitation walk way from Chelsea if he doesn’t get to pull all the teams footballing strings - period!
On a brighter note, Scolari’s appointment is good news for south-west London and the capital's samba schools, who, from today, can expect to do brisk business. We can surely expect John Terry to be popping in any time soon in addition to feasting on Big Phil’s special, home-made, Feijoada. Bit of advice Mr Terry, don’t go in a lift or any other enclosed space within 5 hours after eating!
And finally, if there are any very rich Russian football club owners out there looking for a Chrsitmas Prezzy to buy Big Phillo, you could do worse than buy him a winter coat for those January football games up north!
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Some notes regarding Felipe Scolari:
Scolari was born in Passo Fundo in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, south Brazil.
Anyone from the State of Rio Grande do Sul is referred to as a Gaúcho, moreover, Passo Fundo epitomizes the Gaúcho lifestyle and traditions. The loose translation to English is ¨Cowboy¨.
Scolari is of Italian descent, and although born in Brazil his family came from Veneto and settled in Rio Grande do Sul, as indeed did many other Italians. He has a typical Latin temper and he has been known to lose his ¨rag¨ as in the recent episode involving the Serbian player; Ivica Dragutinović.
Scolari has extensive experience both as a player and manager, his greatest achievements were winning the FIFA World Cup with Brazil (2002) , leading Gremio to 7 trophies, including the Brazilian Championship (Serie A), the Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
He also led Palmeiras to 3 Cups; Brasil, Mercosur and Libertadores, in addition to winning the Brazilian Cup with Criciúma .
