Chelsea, Euro 2008

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the current Portugal national team manager, has been confirmed as Avram Grant’s successor at Stamford Bridge this week.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has worked wonders with the Portugal side

The announcement came as a massive shock to the footballing world, as many had expected Roman Abramovich to delay his decision until the end of the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.

Least of all, they didn’t expect the Chelsea board to announce Scolari as their new coach at a time when his side are fighting tooth and nail for European glory. However, in the aftermath of Portgual’s 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic and their subsequent qualification to the quarter-finals stage of the competition, Scolari confirmed he would be leaving his post as national manager at the end of the tournament to join the Blues in West London.

Yet rather than put an end to all the Chelsea speculation, the announcement has in fact opened up an entirely new can of worms. Who will Scolari bring in to Chelsea? Ronaldinho? Deco? Will Scolari get on with the fiercely-demanding and sometimes interfering Russian owner, the man set to be bankrolling the Brazilian’s massive £6m-a-year wages, or will he wilt under interrogation like his predecessors? And, perhaps most importantly, will ‘Big Phil’ be able to orchestrate the deadly combination that the owner craves; a samba-style breathtaking brand of football along with unlimited success? Unfortunately, we’re just going to have to wait and see; only time will tell.

While Abramovich enjoys his own personal concert, from Amy Winehouse, yesterday evening, at a reported £1m fee, and while Scolari continues to prepare his Portuguese side for their probable last-sixteen meeting with Germany, Chelsea supporters have been given more questions than answers after Wednesday’s managerial unveiling. The first point to consider is whether Scolari was in fact the board’s number one choice, and the suggestions are that he was not. Carlo Ancelotti, the AC Milan manager, was twice approached by the Chelsea board, but kindly declined the offer to leave Serie A, while Frank Rijkaard is also believed to have snubbed Chelsea in favour of taking some time out of football. That makes Scolari the board’s third choice, at best. But have the Chelsea big-wigs made the right choice?

Whilst opting for a manager with no previous experience of managing a club in Europe, they have undoubtedly landed their hands on another ‘Special One.’ Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, guided Portugal to the final of Euro 2004, and then the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Previous club management in Brazil has seen him win a string of championships, as well as the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, twice. His next major international test is likely to come in the quarter-finals of this European Championships, where it is likely his side will have to triumph over Germany, the pre-tournament favourites, to proceed.

Scolari is also a manager who will demand the utmost respect from the Chelsea players the moment he meets them. Unlike with Grant, who had very little previous experience as a manager, Scolari is a world-renowned coach. He’s been there, done that, and has the World Cup-winners medal to prove it. The Chelsea players should be in no doubt that they are about to meet one of the world’s best. Scolari also has the ability to get the best out of top-class players, which is something he will need to be able to do at Chelsea. However, he has the distinct knack of making tough decisions, even against the wishes of the supporters. His omission of Romario from the Brazilian national squad was unpopular, yet Scolari proved the doubters wrong in the end. Could he be about to make a similar stand at Chelsea, perhaps by showing fans-favourite Frank Lampard the door?

It certainly isn’t just the Chelsea supporters who should be looking forward to Scolari’s arrival in the Premier League; just as the loss of Jose Mourinho was universally mourned, Scolari will be charismatic, bold, open-minded and not afraid to ruffle a few feathers. His recent hints to Cristiano Ronaldo to join Real Madrid, which make much more sense now he has been confirmed as the new Chelsea boss, have already kick-started the war of words with Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager. Scolari also infamously punched an opposition Serbian player after a minor confrontation, whilst referees have also come under attack from the brash Brazilian. We’ve been told to expect fireworks and, to be honest, we cannot wait.

But will Scolari be able to deliver in the toughest of climates, at Stamford Bridge? His CV certaintly suggests so, although once he starts work in West London, any previous achievements will be thrown out of the window. Scolari will be judged by the board, the supporters and the public by his work at Chelsea, and that alone. Undoubtedly he will be handed a significant transfer budget for the summer, but who to bring in? Deco has been mooted as joining his current national coach at the Bridge, although with Chelsea’s already-extragantly packed midfield area, surely some would have to make way first. The talk of David Villa, after seeing him in action for Spain last week, is mouth-watering, while the manager’s aim of bringing attacking, entertaining football to Chelsea may see the likes of Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko quickly moved on.

Chelsea’s decision to appoint Scolari as their new coach cannot be disputed in terms of logic; indeed, out of all the candidates he is probably the best-suited for the role. His age - Scolari turns 60 in November - may be a concern, although his experiences of football across the world will greatly benefit his players and the club. His grasping of the English language has also been questioned, and he will have to quickly get his message across to his players if that is not to be a major problem. However, as people often say, football is a universal language. And Scolari, in any language, is a special manager.

Tags: Euro 2008, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Portugal

---

Related Articles

• Portugal 2-0 Turkey: Scolari’s impressive Portuguese side stake their claim
• Euro 2008 Who’s Who - PORTUGAL
• Editor’s Prediction: Portugal have all the necessary ingredients
• What’s wrong with Nani?
• Romania land Group of Death - Euro 2008 Draw