NO HIGHWAYMEN :evil4: Scolari New England Manager

FA offers England job to Scolari http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4949118.stm

Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job of England manager and is discussing terms with the Football Assocation, the BBC has learned.

FA chief executive Brian Barwick was in Lisbon on Wednesday to thrash out a deal with Portugal's Brazilian coach.

"We were speaking to Felipe as part of the process of recruiting the next coach and that process continues," said Barwick after flying back to London.

Scolari, 57, is out of contract after the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

If he accepted the post Scolari, who led Brazil to victory at the 2002 World Cup, would replace Sven-Goran Eriksson after this summer's tournament.

Scolari is thought to have a gentleman's agreement with the Portuguese FA not to commit himself to another job until his current deal runs out in July.

But it is understood part of the FA's talks in Lisbon were about waiving this arrangement.

Barwick flew back in to London's Heathrow on Thursday but made no comment on when the FA would make an announcement on the situation.

An FA spokesman told BBC Sport that talks with the Portuguese FA started in February this year.

The spokesman said: "I can confirm that the FA formally approached the Portuguese Football Federation back in February.

"The FA chairman Geoff Thompson spoke to the PFF president Gilberto Madail for permission to speak to Mr Scolari and that permission was granted."

The FA board is due to meet again on Thursday 4 May and had hoped to be in a position to finalise its selection by then.

Scolari's case is believed to have been championed at the highest level within the FA by Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.

News that he has been offered the England job will come as a blow to those fans who favour a British appointment.

The FA has also held talks with Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren, Bolton's Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley of Charlton and former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill.

Last week, the FA claimed it had completed its interview process, and McClaren - part of Eriksson's current England coaching team - was seen as the favourite.

But Barwick's trip to Portugal seems to support claims that the FA board was unable to reach a firm decision.

Agreeing personal terms with Scolari should not be an issue as the estimated £3m annual salary on offer would represent a big pay rise for him.

But the FA's approach raises the prospect of Scolari facing England in Germany this summer as manager-elect, possibly in the quarter-finals.

He has helped to knock England out of their past two major tournaments - with Brazil in the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals, and with Portugal at the same stage in Euro 2004.

Scolari is a double winner of the Libertadores - the South American championship - and took hosts Portugal to the final of Euro 2004, where they lost to Greece.

Good choice - and if he has an English assistant as well then it will help develop coaching too. At last England may turn from a side full of top players into a top side.

Agreed, definitely a good choice... England need someone who is not afraid to tread on toes, in order to get the right side/squad rather than the eleven best(paid?) players... Very few English managers seem capable to do that, and Eriksson has proved about as useful as a chocolate fireguard in that respect...

Dave xxx

Al Jarvis wrote: Might be a Chinese Whisper, but I didn't think Scolari actually spoke English?!

Not gonna be much of a man-motivator, is he?!

Apparently, he is planning to learn... Then he's going to teach half the squad to speak properly, too...

Dave xxx

I dont agree.

Good choice. Apart of the language problem, he's the best coach I know in terms of adapting what he has in his hands and what he wants from his team. Some coaches try to submmit their players to whatever they want them to do - they have their tatics and the players just have to fit it-, and others just use the players as they are without even trying to "upgrade" in training or changing their functions. He's excellent in conciliate these issues. The four teams he headed - Grêmio, Palmeiras, Brazil and Portugal - can be considerated very good teams with different stiles.

He wants 5 million a year and the FA are offering 2.5+bonuses..He can't Speak English,Mourinho hates him says he's lazy.Hardly makes for a co-operative relationship with the club his players play for Are the FA dim?I could win the world cup with the Brazil team he had..International players need motivators not coaches.A coach can teach an international very little IMO

Boatraceface wrote: Mourinho hates him

That's a "pro", right?

now the bbc says it's a rumor

at the risk of being seen as holder of the big online wooden spoon......

Doesn't hiring a foreign guy send the message out that there are no world class managers in Engerland? Surely before going outside one's country for a national coach, one must have exhausted ALl domestic options?

I don't really get it, there APPEAR to be plenty of well run teams over there.

Apologies if I'm way off here, it's not exactly my field of expertise.....if you wanna talk about 8 of 11 F1 teams being based in England, I'm there :D

i bet if mclaren wins the uefa he'll be offered the job within minutes, one of Englands coaching staff blah blah blah and whatever bullshit they decide to spout.

i'd prefer it to be an englishman, but anyone will do me instead of Sven.

patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: i bet if mclaren wins the uefa he'll be offered the job within minutes, one of Englands coaching staff blah blah blah and whatever bullshit they decide to spout.

i'd prefer it to be an englishman, but anyone will do me instead of Sven.

should be worth it just for the way they made they MADE the final.. whether he wins it or not :P

ChrissMari wrote:

patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: i bet if mclaren wins the uefa he'll be offered the job within minutes, one of Englands coaching staff blah blah blah and whatever bullshit they decide to spout.

i'd prefer it to be an englishman, but anyone will do me instead of Sven.

should be worth it just for the way they made they MADE the final.. whether he wins it or not :P

yeah i agree with you there, you can't knock em at all, they've had a very good run. pity there domestic season has suffered because of it though.

Well, our media have fucked this one up royally. Twats.

Big Sam for me now.

Or, anyone but Mclaren!

Uncle Liam wrote: Well, our media have fucked this one up royally. Twats.

Big Sam for me now.

Or, anyone but Mclaren!

the media thing is a smokescreen. So are the 'death threats' that are supposed to be coming out in the papers tomorrow.

He just using the FA to secure a nice fat 2 year extention at Portugal

Maclaren has been found out knobing his secretary at Boro.. Will this affect his chances? I was kind of hoping he would get the England job,just so Boro could get Tony Mowbray in as a manager..I think he's proved his worth in Scotland,and I believe its only a matter of time before he's Boro boss. I think England should have an English Manager personally.We are not a third world country,we invented the game and have some good coaches,who actually will have a proper passion for England..You can't say that about a foreign coach,where the filthy lucre on offer will be their primary concern.

Don't hold your breath, people. Scolari gave a press conference yesterday, here in Portugal, and denied the story.

(and so concludes my annual football-related post...)

And now for something completly different:

http://gmc.globo.com/GMC/0,,2465-p-M449819,00.html

(no translation needed)

it will be a big time fuck up if Big Sam don't get the job. he's practically begging the F.A for it.

Don't like Mclaren. Boro fans aren't pleading with him to stay at Boro, so they know the score.

BIG SAM!!!!!!

but Barwick and his cronies will fuck it up no doubt.

J.A.K wrote: it will be a big time fuck up if Big Sam don't get the job. he's practically begging the F.A for it.

Don't like Mclaren. Boro fans aren't pleading with him to stay at Boro, so they know the score.

BIG SAM!!!!!!

but Barwick and his cronies will fuck it up no doubt.

Can you swear a bit more today please, i can't quite sense your bad mood!