Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is one of those people who is genuinely a larger than life character and has the trophies to go with his coaching talent, but he would dearly love to add the European crown to his achievements.
The 59-year-old Brazilian came agonizingly close four years ago as the hosts Portugal succumbed 1-0 to Greece in the final, having already lost 2-1 to them in the opening match of the tournament.
However, whilst “Big Phil” or “master sergeant” as he is known for his disciplinarian manner, has since lost several hugely experienced players through retirement — Luis Figo and Pedro Pauleta giving up the ghost following their exit in the 2006 World Cup semi-finals — he is confident they can give as good a showing this time round.
PHOTO: AFP
“We have as good a chance as we did in 2004,” said Scolari, who guided Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.
“This time round, the team is younger and less experienced, but, with good morale we can reach the final,” added Scolari, who bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor Gene Hackman.
Scolari brooks no argument either with his own players or those of the opposition as he showed when he surprised many by leaving the experienced Inter Milan midfielder Maniche out of the final squad.
However, he drew serious criticism and a punishment from European governing body UEFA for his handling of another incident when he slapped Serbian player Ivica Dragutinovic following a Euro 2008 qualifier.
That has not deterred the normally placid Portuguese supporters from adoring him and indeed he has managed to get them rather fired up, beginning back at Euro 2004 when he implored them to hang the Portuguese national flag from their windows and thousands answered his call to arms.
Scolari has also defied the belief that a modest playing career does not make a good coach as he has shown with his inspirational qualities of motivating players and getting the most out of them.
His list of achievements aside from the World Cup backs this up with the Gulf Cup with Kuwait in 1990 and two Libertadores Cups with Gremio and Palmeiras in 1995 and 1999 respectively.
Whether he stays on with the Portuguese after the championships remains open to debate.
Just before the 2006 World Cup it was revealed that he had been offered the England post in succession to Sven-Goran Eriksson only to snub the English Football Association in embarrassing fashion.
He has been linked once again with succeeding Eriksson, this time at Premiership side Manchester City — if as seems inevitable the Swede is sacked.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946