SO now we will have Gene Hackman playing Jose
Mourinho. And what fun and games that will be down at Stamford
Bridge.
The greatest surprise about the appointment of
Luiz Felipe Scolari as the new Chelsea boss is the timing. At Euro
2004, he was linked with Benfica and said it was absurd he had to
answer questions about his future in the middle of a
tournament.
At Germany 2006, he blew a gasket over English
journalists seeking confirmation he had been approached by the FA
to succeed Sven Goran Eriksson. Again, he said he was concentrating
only on Portugal.
Now, he seems to have given Chelsea the go-ahead to
announce his appointment on the very night Portugal qualified for
the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 by beating the Czech Republic 3-1
in Geneva. It will go down like a lead balloon in Portugal with all
sorts of charges of double standards and hypocrisy.
Be that as it may, you can understand why he should be
the man Chelsea have chosen to succeed Avram Grant. Providing, of
course, he can handle the media. The man known as Big Phil is
notoriously touchy when it comes to his dealings with the Fourth
Estate.
In Portugal, there is no love lost on either side. At
the Press conference that followed the nervous goalless draw at
home to Finland that earned Portugal qualification for Euro 2008,
he exploded after criticism of his team.
“So you think I’m some sort of donkey?” he shouted.
“You think I’m a terrible coach?” With that, he stormed out. How he
will react when Chelsea lose a couple of games and come in for the
usual Press criticism will be fascinating.
If his credentials for the job are to be questioned
it’s in the fact he has never managed a club of such stature, one
where the demands are so high and where the spotlight is so fierce.
His last club job was with Cruzeiro back in 2001. He also has no
experience whatsoever of the Champions League.
Then, again, he has won the Copa Libertadores, the
South American equivalent and, lest we forget, guided Brazil to the
World Cup in Japan and Korea in 2002.
Many will say coaching Brazil is the both the greatest
and fiercest challenge any manager could face. If we take it
managing Brazil is the equivalent of running a madhouse, then he is
ideally suited to the post at Stamford Bridge.
Big Phil is a big man in every way. He commands
enormous respect among his players. His touchline antics are
legend. In Geneva last night he punched the air in delight and was
swamped by his coaching staff as Portugal scored their killer third
against the Czechs.
There is no doubt that, at 59, this will be the last
challenge of the Brazilian’s career. And he will be under no
illusions about what he has to deliver to keep the boss
sweet.
Brazilian-style football and the Champions League. Not
much to ask really.
<!-- Article End -->
