Deco: “I’ve no regrets on choosing Portugal”

“This Chelsea side could become greatest I’ve played for”

Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Deco says he has no regrets about opting to play for Portugal instead of the country of his birth, Brazil.

Speaking to Fifa.com, the silky-skilled midfielder also compared the three high-profile coaches he has played under, Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Frank Rijkaard, intimating that the Portuguese is the pick of the trio, and added that the current Chelsea side could become the greatest he has ever played for.

Deco made his debut for Portugal in 2003, ironically against Brazil, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory in a friendly match played in Porto. Some have suggested that if he had waited a little longer, he would have been called up by the five-time World Champions, but Deco himself says that not being selected in the Brazil squad did not weigh in his decision.

Good enough for Brazil

“In making the decision to play for Portugal, I never thought it was because I wasn’t good enough to play for Brazil – I’ve never had any doubts about that. There were other reasons behind it. I made my decision, and I don’t regret it one bit.

“I already had the right to become a Portuguese national because I had been resident there for some time, and ultimately, the decision to play for the national team was a way of recognising all that Portugal had done for me.

“It was a way of showing my appreciation for the support people had given me, so when they asked me to play for their country I responded.”

Deco was full of praise for Rijkaard, Scolari and Mourinho, offering an interesting insight into the way each coach works.

“The Dutch brand of football that Rijkaard brought fitted in well at Barcelona, which is a club that likes to play good football. Scolari brings a more typically South American approach.

Big Phil spontaneity

“They are two very different personalities, but what they have in common is that both, in their own way, bring a sense of unity to a squad. But I think Big Phil is even better at it because he is more outgoing and spontaneous.

“Mourinho takes a measured, scholarly approach and is always aware of every aspect – not just the match itself but the build-up, the atmosphere, the psychological pressure. In that sense he is the ideal coach and a very intelligent man.”

Chelsea and Deco have made a brilliant start to the current Premier League season, and 31-year-old believes that the Blues under Scolari can go on to become the greatest team he has ever played for.

“The Barcelona team which won the Champions League played a stylish brand of football for two seasons that any team would find hard to match. The 2003/04 Porto side was also very strong.

“However, in all honesty, the current Chelsea team has the maturity and presence to go further still. It reminds me of that Porto team but with even greater quality.”