Wednesday September 23, 2009
Scolari eyes historic feat of achieving World Cup double
SEOUL: Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to become the first coach in history to win the World Cup and the Club World Cup and won’t complain if he happens to complete the double in Tashkent rather than the more glamorous surroundings of Chelsea in southwest London.
Scolari led his native Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title and is now preparing his Uzbek club Bunyodkor for the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League against Pohang Steelers of South Korea.
The winner of the ACL competition will represent the world’s most populace continent at the FIFA Club World Cup in December and could face European giants Barcelona.
Scolari was fired by Chelsea earlier this year but found solace with the ambitious and newly wealthy Central Asian club helped by the fact, according to British media speculation, that he is the highest-paid coach in the world with an annual salary of around US$18mil.
Catching up: Fabio Capello (right) chatting with former England managers Sven Goran Eriksson (centre) and Graham Taylor during the Sir Bobby Robson Thanksgiving Service at Durham Cathedral, Durham, on Monday. — AFP “I am here because I believe I can contribute to the growth of the Uzbek game,” Scolari said recently. “I also believe in this project.”
Domestic success is a given. This project demands Asian championships.
“Certainly, I would like Bunyodkor to win the continental title,” said Scolari, who took Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 and the semi-final of the 2006 World Cup.
“I think we will have equal chances of winning against Pohang Steelers.”
As well as the 2002 World Cup winning coach, Bunyodkor have recruited Rivaldo, a star player of that Brazilian squad and the 1999 World Player of the Year.
The former Barcelona star played a big part in Scolari’s decision to head to Tashkent.
“Rivaldo suggested it to me,” Scolari revealed.
“He had already been here almost a year at the time.
“I already knew about the structure of the club and was fascinated by the ambition of the Bunyodkor chiefs.
“A project of this scale is a fantasy!” — AP
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