Scolari says no to FA offer

Scolari says no to FA offer

	Published : Sat, 29 Apr 2006 14:35 By : Richard Owen Print this Story

LONDON: Portugal's national football side coach and Brazil's 2002 World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari has finally decided not to accept the offer to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson as in charge of the English team after the World Cup. He cited media intrusion that comes with the job as the reason and said he hoped the Portuguese Football Federation will offer him a new deal to stay on after he opted not to take up the English assignment.

This brings back Steve McClaren, coach of Middlesborough, as the most suitable candidate even as FA officials are deliberating how to react in the light of Scolari's decision. McClaren will start with a handicap -- full awareness that he was second best to Scolari and that he got the position because Scolari withdrew and Eriksson decided to leave.

Besides, he is in the limelight -- for wrong reasons -- having got exposed in two affairs with women and in a controversy involving Chelsea. There were reports in the press that the 44-year-old had an affair with his secretary while temporarily separated from his wife.

On the other hand, the FA will have the onerous task of convincing people that their choice of McClaren is correct and is most likely to bring in results.

McClaren has some achievements of late. His team has found a place in UEFA Cup final against Sevilla. He is also the only one among the three English candidates for the position -- the others being Charlton Athletic's Alan Curbishley and Bolton Wanderers' Sam Allardyce -- to have won a trophy -- when his team Boro beat Bolton in the 2004 League Cup final.

He has spent several years as assistant to Eriksson and as such many feel his selection would make the transition smoother.

But, factors that work against him are that he is not popular among fans and that he has hardly any experience in Champions League or other big competitions.

Another name that is finding mention in the prevailing circumstances is Martin O'Neill, formerly with Nottingham Forest as a player, and manager with Celtic and Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Portugal’s Football Federation president said, "The doors of the PFF remain open -- now more than ever -- for Luiz Felipe Scolari to stay in charge."