Former Brazil, Portugal and Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been named coach of Bunyodkor, the Uzbek champions said on Tuesday.
The 60-year-old former World Cup-winning coach, who was sacked by Chelsea in February, has agreed an 18-month contract with the Uzbek side.
“Uzbek football is on an upswing right now while Bunyodkor is a very dynamic club with great potential,” Scolari was quoted as saying on the club’s Web site. “I know that I am at the right place at the right time.”
Scolari, who led Brazil to their fifth world title in 2002, succeeds fellow Brazilian Zico, who led Bunyodkor to the league and cup double and Asian Champions League semi-finals last year before quitting in December to join CSKA Moscow.
Scolari is bringing a team of assistant coaches to the Uzbek capital and will be reunited with midfielder Rivaldo, who was part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning team.
The fiery coach, usually known as Felipao (Big Phil) in his homeland, said he had been attracted by the chance of helping improve the standards of soccer in the Central Asian country.
“I made a choice because of a number of details, which are difficult to explain in an interview, but it’s basically because of the project which I was offered,” said Scolari in an interview with his media advisor released to the press.
“[I like] the way the club is taking on a new football reality in Uzbekistan. It offers me a project which is similar to ones in which I have already worked and which were very fulfilling for me,” he said.
Scolari hopes to attract some more well-known players to the club and said he saw a bright future for Uzbek soccer.
Bunyodkor, which means builder in Uzbek, were founded less than four years ago as an amateur team and were promoted each year until they reached the top flight in 2007.
After a runners-up finish that year, they won the league and cup double the following season.
The club said they are building a new 35,000-seat arena at a cost of US$150 million, due to be completed by March next year.
“In football terms, it’s starting to show potential, there are good qualities and some interesting players,” Scolari said. “We need to start the project so that in four, five, ten years from now, Uzbekistan are competing on level terms, with the top national teams, to qualify for all the championships in which they take part.”
Scolari played down money as a factor in his move.
“The financial situation is part of all this but, in my opinion, this should be considered one of the least important factors,” he said. “But the financial aspect often attracts a player or coach to a distant country such as Uzbekistan.”
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