Midfielder Deco, Brazilian-born like his club manager,
insisted: “It is absolute nonsense to claim that he is biased
towards me. “I do not need to defend myself but it is a fact that I
have won many titles in my career without Scolari. “It is just that
I am rarely on the subs’ bench at Chelsea. But that has been the
case throughout my career. I have always been a first-team
player.
“Scolari and I simply just work together on a daily
basis, which is a good experience because he is a fantastic
person.”
Deco, 31, who played under Scolari for Portugal, is Big
Phil’s only signing for Chelsea, having joined from Barcelona for
£8million in August. But he has failed to impress all his
team-mates as the Blues have struggled for consistency.
Deco has 18 months of his Stamford Bridge agreement to
run with the option of a further 12 months. But he admits he is
likely to finish his career in the land of his birth when his
£90,000-a-week Chelsea contract expires.
He said: “I am very eager to return to living in
Brazil. I have been away from home for 12 years and I miss my
friends and family. “I loved living in Portugal, where I was well
treated and had many friends. And Barcelona was also a fantastic
city. But Brazil is where I truly feel at home.”
While Deco pondered life beyond Stamford Bridge,
captain John Terry worried about a Chelsea future without Wayne
Bridge who joined Manchester City for £10m last weekend.
Terry said: “I’m still in shock a little bit because
it’s a shame to see one of the lads go who you have grown up with
and been with a long time. “The thing with Bridgey is he could play
left-back or left midfield and he is a great crosser of the ball
and gets up and down — so we will miss him.”