Luiz Felipe Scolari
![]() | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Bunyodkor (manager) | ||
Youth career | |||
1966–1973 | Aymoré de São Leopoldo-Rio Grande | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1973–1979 | Caxias | ||
1980 | Juventude | ||
1980–1981 | Novo Hamburgo | ||
1981 | Alagoano | ||
Managerial career | |||
1982 | Alagoano | ||
1982–1983 | Juventude | ||
1983 | Brasil de Pelotas | ||
1984–1985 | Al-Shabab | ||
1986 | Brasil de Pelotas | ||
1986–1987 | Juventude | ||
1987 | Grêmio | ||
1988 | Goiás | ||
1988–1990 | Al Qadisiya | ||
1990 | Kuwait | ||
1991 | Criciúma | ||
1991 | Al-Ahli | ||
1992 | Al Qadisiya | ||
1993–1996 | Grêmio | ||
1996–1997 | Júbilo Iwata | ||
1997–2000 | Palmeiras | ||
2000–2001 | Cruzeiro | ||
2001–2002 | Brazil | ||
2003–2008 | Portugal | ||
2008–2009 | Chelsea | ||
2009– | Bunyodkor | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Luiz Felipe Scolari, ComIH (born 9 November 1948 in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul), also known as Felipão ("Big Phil") in Brazil and sometimes in Portugal, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager who is currently managing FC Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan.
Playing career
A defender regarded as more uncompromising than skillful (he was known among his contemporaries as "perna-de-pau" (literally translated as "wooden leg"), a Brazilian-Portuguese term for a bad player), Scolari followed in the footsteps of his father Benjamin, who was also a Brazilian professional footballer.[1] His playing career encompassed spells with Caxias, Juventude, Novo Hamburgo, and Alagoano, and often captained his sides. It was with Alagoano that he won his only major title as a player - the Alagoano state championship.
Managerial career
Club management
Early career
Upon retiring as a player in 1982, he was appointed manager of CSA, winning the Alagoano state championship in his first season. After spells with Juventude (twice), Brasil de Pelotas and Al-Shabab of Saudi Arabia, he moved to Grêmio, one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, where he won the 1987 Gaúcho state championship.
Kuwait
He then had a two year stint in charge of Kuwaiti side Al Qadisiya Kuwait, with whom he won the prestigious Kuwait Emir Cup in 1989. This was followed by a brief stint as manager of the Kuwait national team, winning the 10th Gulf Cup in Kuwait. He returned to Brazil after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait during the Gulf War and coached Criciúma to their first major national title Copa do Brasil. He returned to club management in the Middle East, managing Al-Ahli and a second spell at Al Qadisiya.
Grêmio
In 1993, Scolari returned to Grêmio, where he was criticized by the Brazilian media for playing a non-Brazilian pragmatic style of football. He won six titles in only three years including the Copa Libertadores in 1995 which qualified them for the Intercontinental Cup, which they lost to AFC Ajax on penalties.[2][3] The following year they won the Brazilian Championship.[4]
His team featured no real superstar and depended on workman-like players such as Paraguayan right back Francisco Arce (of whom he later took to Palmeiras), the tough-tackling midfielder Dinho, Paulo Nunes, and centre forward Mário Jardel.[4]
Júbilo Iwata
In 1997, Scolari became manager of J. League side Júbilo Iwata, but left after eleven games and shortly afterwards took charge of Palmeiras back in Brazil.
Palmeiras
In three years, Scolari led Palmeiras to the Copa do Brasil, the Mercosur Cup, and their first Copa Libertadores title with a win on penalties over Deportivo Cali of Colombia. They were also runners-up to Manchester United in the 1999 Intercontinental Cup. He was named South American Coach of the Year for 1999.
Cruzeiro
In 2000, Scolari was appointed to manage Cruzeiro, coaching them for a year.
International management
Kuwait
Scolari's first taste of international management came in 1990 when he coached the Kuwait national team. They won the Gulf Cup of Nations in 1990, beating Qatar in the final, but he was forced to leave the country when Iraq invaded during the Gulf War, after which he went back to club management for a decade.
Brazil
In June 2001, Scolari was appointed manager of his native Brazil, who with five matches remaining were in danger of not qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Despite losing his first match 1-0 to Uruguay, Scolari eventually guided the team to qualification.
In the build-up to the finals, Scolari refused to include veteran striker Romário in his squad, despite public pressure and a tearful appeal from the player himself.[5] Brazil entered the tournament unfancied, but wins over Turkey, PR China, Costa Rica, Belgium, England, and Turkey again took them to the final, where they beat Germany 2-0 to win their fifth FIFA World Cup title.[6] At the end of 2002, Scolari resigned as the manager of Brazil.[7]
Portugal
Scolari took over as manager of Portugal in 2003 and oversaw their preparations as host nation for UEFA Euro 2004. In the finals, Portugal got through the group stages and saw off England in the quarter-finals on penalties before beating the Netherlands in the semi-finals. However, in the final, they were beaten in a massive 1–0 upset by tournament underdogs Greece.[8]
He managed Portugal in the 2006 World Cup in Germany where they reached the semi-finals, again coming out victorious in the quarter-finals against England. But they did not reach the final due to a semi-final defeat against eventual runners-up France. Following the tournament, Scolari was very heavily linked with the England managers job, but he ultimately opted to remain as Portugal coach.
Scolari took Portugal to Euro 2008 where they reached the knockout stages by winning Group A before being eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals. During the tournament, he announced that he would be joining English Premier League side Chelsea for the 2008–09 season.
Return to club management
Chelsea
Scolari took over as manager of Chelsea on 1 July 2008. This was announced shortly after Portugal's Euro 2008 match against the Czech Republic on 11 June. With this appointment, Scolari became the first World Cup winning manager to manage in the Premier League. In previous press conferences, Scolari had talked about "tantrums" and "triumphs" and had a reputation as a tough and unpredictable person.[9] When asked whether his decision to join Chelsea was financial he responded "Yes, that is one of the reasons." But he added: "I'm 59 and I don't want to work as a coach until I'm 70. I want to retire in four or five years, so it was a financial matter but there are other things." He also said: "I could offer my son the opportunity to study elsewhere. You only get this kind of opportunity once so you take it or leave it, but it was not only financial."[10]
Scolari later said that he had turned down an offer to manage Manchester City.[11]
Scolari's first match in charge of Chelsea was a friendly match against Chinese side Guangzhou Pharmaceutical; Chelsea won 4–0.[12] He made FC Barcelona midfielder Deco, a player he was familiar with on the Portuguese national team, his first signing for a fee of around £8 million,[13] but was subsequently frustrated in his attempts to sign Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid.[14]
Scolari's career as Chelsea manager in the Premier League got off to a good start with a 4–0 victory over 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth.[15]
Under Scolari, Chelsea had the biggest away win of the club in five years in which Chelsea won 5–0 at the Riverside Stadium in October 2008. It was also the club's biggest win ever at Middlesbrough.
Scolari's first defeat and the end of Chelsea's record 86 game unbeaten home run was on 26 October 2008. Liverpool won the game 1–0 through a deflected Xabi Alonso strike in the 10th minute. This record stretched back four years and eight months when Arsenal won 2–1 at Stamford Bridge in February 2004. Claudio Ranieri was manager at the time.
Scolari was sacked as Chelsea manager on 9 February 2009[16] after a run of poor form culminating in a frustrating 0–0 home draw with Hull City. The club's stated reason for his removal was that "the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season."[17] Scolari's replacement at Chelsea for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season was the Dutch Guus Hiddink, who was also managing the Russian national team at the same time.
Bunyodkor
Scolari has said he will continue living in London.[18] In Brazil, speculation emerged in the press about the possibility of Scolari returning to coach the Brazil national football team.[19] On 6 June 2009, he was spotted in attendance (with FC Bunyodkor player Rivaldo) at Uzbekistan's World Cup qualifier against Japan. Rumours persisted that Scolari has signed a contract to become the next coach of Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor. On June 8th, 2009, Scolari had revealed that he had signed an 18 month contract with the team.[1]
Personality
Scolari is famous for his temper and for his histrionic "performance" beside the field while the match is going on, reacting strongly to both the best and the worst moments of his team. A good example of his fierce temper was a 12 September 2007 qualifying match for Euro 2008 against Serbia when, at the end of the game, and after the referee had blown the whistle for a 1-1 draw, Scolari threw a left hook at Serbian player Ivica Dragutinović's face that ended up grazing his cheek.[20]
Scolari's character, however, is often seen as a good point, instead of a drawback, because he tries to keep the players (and himself) free of external pressures: he usually demands a lot more freedom than most coaches are allowed and is bent on exerting a somewhat discretionary power. Some critics mostly agree that his unique character was very beneficial to the Portuguese national team, which had a tradition of talented players but never won anything because of excessive intervention from the federation, the clubs, and the player's agents, as well as a lack of a true "team spirit."
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he gave each of his players a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, a Chinese military treatise written during the 6th century BC. He also gave the team recordings of Ivete Sangalo Festa videoclip to enforce the Brazilian spirit and motivate the team engagement. [21]
Scolari holds Italian citizenship, since his family emigrated from Veneto. He is said to be a fan of Grêmio and Palmeiras, both of which he has managed.
Statistics
Manager
Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Alagoano | ![]() |
1982 | 1982 | |||||
Juventude | ![]() |
1982 | 1983 | |||||
Brasil de Pelotas | ![]() |
1983 | 1983 | |||||
Al-Shabab | ![]() |
1984 | 1985 | |||||
Brasil de Pelotas | ![]() |
1986 | 1986 | |||||
Juventude | ![]() |
1986 | 1987 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 25 |
Grêmio | ![]() |
1987 | 1987 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 46.67 |
Goiás | ![]() |
1988 | 1988 | 23 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 21.74 |
Al Qadisiya | ![]() |
1988 | 1990 | 35 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 37.14 |
Kuwait | ![]() |
27 January 1990 | August 1990 | |||||
Criciúma | ![]() |
1991 | 1991 | |||||
Al-Ahli | ![]() |
1991 | 1991 | |||||
Al Qadisiya | ![]() |
1992 | 1992 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 50 |
Grêmio | ![]() |
1993 | 1996 | 85 | 35 | 18 | 32 | 41.18 |
Júbilo Iwata | ![]() |
1996 | 1997 | 30 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 66.67 |
Palmeiras | ![]() |
1997 | 2000 | 80 | 38 | 23 | 19 | 47.5 |
Cruzeiro | ![]() |
2000 | 2001 | 57 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 40.35 |
Brazil | ![]() |
2001 | 2002 | |||||
Portugal | ![]() |
2003 | June 2008 | 74 | 42 | 18 | 14 | 56.76 |
Chelsea | ![]() |
1 July 2008 | 9 February 2009[22] | 36 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 55.56 |
Bunyodkor | ![]() |
1 July 2009 |
Honours
- Alagoano
- Al Qadisiya Kuwait
- Kuwait
- Criciúma
- Grêmio
- Template:Sport honours
- Template:Sport honours
- Template:Sport honours
- Template:Sport honours
- Template:Sport honours
- Palmeiras
- Cruzeiro
- Brazil
References
- ^ Shaw, Robert (13 June 2008). "How Luiz Felipe Scolari, aka 'wooden leg', emerged from his father's shadow". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Classic Football - Ajax Amsterdam". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Classic Football - Toyota Cup 1995". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ a b Carter, Jon. "Luiz Felipe Scolari". ESPN. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Defiant Big Phil leaves out Romario". rediff.com. 7 May 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ Murray, Scott (30 June 2002). "Brazil 2 - 0 Germany". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Scolari Resigns As Brazil's Coach". The New York Times. 10 August 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (4 July 2004). "Greece win Euro 2004". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Tough guy Scolari could also be a loose cannon - Telegraph". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ Gowar, Rex (15 June 2008). "Scolari says money only one reason for Chelsea move". Reuters. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (12 September 2008). "Luiz Felipe Scolari had chance to run the City desk". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Scolari begins reign with victory". BBC Sport. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ Roughley, Gregg (30 June 2008). "Chelsea sign Deco from Barcelona". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Man City beat Chelsea to Robinho". BBC Sport. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Chelsea 4-0 Portsmouth". Radio Telefís Éireann. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Scolari sacked as Chelsea manager". BBC Sport. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^
"Chelsea". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
{{cite web}}
: Text "Latest News" ignored (help); Text "Latest News" ignored (help); Text "News" ignored (help); Text "SCOLARI DISMISSED" ignored (help) - ^ Template:Pt icon "Felipão lamenta demissão precoce e diz que continuará morando em Londres". 9 February 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ^ Template:Pt icon Zaupa, Augusto (9 February 2009). http://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/ultimas/2009/02/09/ult59u187142.jhtm. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
{{cite news}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Video of Scolari punch".
- ^ Template:Pt icon "UOL Esporte - Copa do Mundo 2002 - Últimas Notícias". 2 August 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Scalari's dismissed". Chelsea Football Club Official Website. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ "Felipe Scolari's managerial career". Racing Post. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ Mubarak, Hassanin (17 October 2006). "Kuwait National Team Coaches". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
External links
- 2002 FIFA World Cup managers
- 2006 FIFA World Cup managers
- Brazil national football team managers
- Brazilian footballers
- Brazilian football managers
- Brazilians of Italian descent
- Chelsea F.C. managers
- Cruzeiro Esporte Clube managers
- FIFA World Cup-winning managers
- Football (soccer) defenders
- Júbilo Iwata managers
- Expatriate football managers in Japan
- People from Rio Grande do Sul
- Premier League managers
- UEFA Euro 2004 managers
- UEFA Euro 2008 managers
- 1948 births
- Living people