Just a few hours after his Portugal team had defeated the Czech Republic in Geneva to set up qualification for the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2008, Luiz Felipe Scolari was named as the new manager of Chelsea FC – a role that the Brazilian will take up on 1 July.

Club statement
Chelsea issued a statement on Wednesday night saying: “Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Luiz Felipe Scolari will be the club’s new manager from July 1, 2008.” A FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Scolari has held the reins of the Portugal team since 2003 and led them to the final of UEFA EURO 2004 and the last four of the 2006 World Cup. Scolari’s contract was due to end at the conclusion of the EURO and the hope of Portugal fans now is he will sign off with a flourish by guiding his team to their first European crown.

‘Great qualities’
Scolari, 59, will replace Avram Grant as Chelsea manager and the club’s statement added: “Felipe has great qualities. He is one of the world’s top coaches with a record of success at country and club level, he gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours. He was the outstanding choice. Out of respect for his current role as head coach of the Portuguese national team, and to ensure minimum disruption to this work, there will be no further comment from Chelsea FC nor from Felipe about his new role until his employment with us commences.”

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has dropped a big hint that he may be accepting the Chelsea job after Euro 2008…

Big Phil will leave his post after Euro 2008, but has done his utmost to disregard talk of his future until the tournament is over.
Having led the Portuguese to semi-finals and finals fairly consistently, Brazil’s World Cup winning manager will be hoping he can go out with a bang, particularly after having made a good start against Turkey on Saturday, winning 2-0. This evening, they face the Czech Republic in their second game, with a win guaranteeing them qualification.
However, between the two games the press have speculated that the coach has already agreed a deal with Chelsea behind the scenes, despite public claims his future would not be discussed until after the tournament.
The Blues sacked Avram Grant at the end of the season following his failure to bring home any silverware, though they came very close to both the Premier League and Champions League titles.
The club have faced criticism from all quarters for their treatment of the Israeli and have been turned down by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and 2006 World Cup winner Marcello Lippi - and there are unverified rumours a few other rejections - in their search for a new manager. Recently dismissed former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard remains a favourite, though sacking his former assistant, Henk ten Cate, has led many to believe he is out of the running.
During yesterday’s press conference, Scolari intimated that he was ready for a new country and a new challenge, leading many to believe he will be taking up the Chelsea job, having already been linked with the Manchester City post, now of course filled by former Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes.
“For the atmosphere, for the love of Portugal, it will be difficult to leave, but I’m a professional and I have lived everywhere in the world. I am ready to live in a different country,” declared Scolari.
“I have a contract with the Portuguese Federation and I will fulfil that. Afterwards, we will see what happens.”

Don’t be sad, don’t feel blue, this could happen to anyone.