Farewell Portugal

‘Big Phil’ to say farewell to Portugal after Euro 2008

Brazil’s World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will leave his present post with Portugal after the Euro 2008 campaign is finished he announced on Tuesday. 

The 58-year-old — known as ‘Big Phil’ — told sporting daily Record that it was logical he should finish his term at the helm after Euro 2008 as he felt six years in charge of any team was enough. His comments may spark interest from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as he has said he would like to coach the national side before he retires. 

“It is logical and only natural that at the end of Euro 2008 I leave when my present contract comes to an end,” said Scolari, who after winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil guided Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and to this year’s World Cup semi-finals — their first in 40 years. “The work of a coach is limited to five or six years. We are already in this time frame but after that, things become more difficult, because they create habits and links with the players which can result in things deteriorating,” added Scolari, who was awarded the paper’s Portuguese sports personality of the year.

Scolari also confirmed in the interview that he had been approached both by Portuguese giants Benfica in 2004 and England prior to the last World Cup finals to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson when the Swede left after the tournament. 

“The English wanted me to sign the contract during the finals but that I start the job after the finals were over. However that would have a betrayal of the Portuguese. It simply wasn’t possible. Nobody can sign for one national side and continue to run another. It was a difficult choice but I understood that I could not accept it,” said Scolari. Scolari said he was not clear about what he
would do after he finished with Portugal but he would probably coach a club. 

“I could stay here, go to another European country or return to Brazil. I just don’t know.”