Portugal advances but will lose coach
Wednesday was a day of high soccer drama at the European Championship, what with Portugal becoming the first team to reach the quarterfinals, then losing its coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, to English Premier League club Chelsea, and with tournament co-host Switzerland later becoming the first team eliminated.
Almost lost amid all this was the performance of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored one goal and set up another as the Portuguese rolled over the Czech Republic, 3-1, on a sunny early summer evening in Geneva.
The weather was much less kind in Basel, where a first-half downpour turned the field into a waterlogged quagmire and contributed in no small part to the Swiss team losing, 2-1, to Turkey and thus being assured of not advancing in Euro 2008.
But it was the news about Scolari that dominated the headlines in Europe, and indeed worldwide.
Scolari, the 59-year-old Brazilian nicknamed “Big Phil,” is known for his quick temper and is one of the three highest-profile soccer coaches on the planet, along with Russia Coach Guus Hiddink and new Inter Milan Coach Jose Mourinho.
Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 before switching continents to take charge of Portugal, which he promptly coached to the final of Euro 2004 only to lose to Greece, and to fourth place at the 2006 World Cup.
But on Wednesday, within hours of guiding the Portuguese into at least the last eight at Euro 2008 and with every chance of leading them further still, Scolari was suddenly a lame duck.
The timing of the announcement, made by Chelsea in London, was curious, to say the least. The club, which last month finished runner-up to Manchester United in both the English Premier League and the European Champions League, revealed the appointment on its website.
“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 nor from Felipe until his employment with us commences” on July 1, the statement said.
That was all well and good, but the disruption already has occurred and if Portugal falls along the way to the June 29 final, Chelsea’s move will have to share the blame.
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