What is RSS?

Luiz Felipe Scolari appointed new Chelsea manager

Brazilian joins Carvalho, Ferreira and Bosingwa in London

Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has ended recent speculation about his future by being named as the new boss of English Premiership club Chelsea.

The Brazilian has been in charge of the Portuguese national side for five years, having taken over in 2003, and led the team to the final of the European Championships in 2004 and the semi-finals of the World Cup in Germany 2006.

The news of his departure does not come as a big surprise in Portugal, as Scolari was largely expected to leave after this summer’s Euro 2008 tournament. Three of Portugal’s current starting eleven - Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa - will now also play their club football under Scolari at the Premiership team.

Speculation had been rife in recent days that Scolari was in discussions with Chelsea about succeeding sacked manager Avram Grant, and an official announcement was made on the club’s website just minutes after Portugal’s victory over Czech Republic last night.

The statement read:

“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Luiz Felipe Scolari will be the club’s new manager from July 1, 2008.

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.”

Superb CV

The job will be Scolari’s first in European club football, although the 59-year-old has a tremendous record in South America.

As well as winning the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, Scolari enjoys legendary status in his homeland as a domestic manager, having led both Palmeiras and Gremio to the Copa Libertadores (the continent’s equivalent to the Champions League) during the 90s, while also guiding modest Ciricuma to a Brazilian cup triumph in 1991.

Luis Felipe Scolari honours list:
Kuwait Emir Cup (Al Qadisiya), 1989
Copa do Brasil (Ciricuma), 1991
Copa do Brasil (Gremio), 1994
Copa Libertadores (Gremio) 1995
Campeonato Brasileiro (Gremio), 1996
Recopa Sudamerica (Gremio), 1996
Copa do Brasil (Palmeiras), 1998
Copa Mercosur (Palmeiras), 1998
Copa Libertadores (Palmeira), 1999
Fifa World Cup (Brazil), 2002