Scolari on Ronaldo’s haircut
Big Phil lifted the World Cup with Brazil, presided over that 7-1 defeat, and even endured a spell at Chelsea in between
You’ve been a manager for 37 years – what keeps you motivated? I like what I do. I’d always dreamed of being a footballer, but my parents never accepted the idea. I kept insisting, and at 18 I started playing. I’ve worked in football until today, at the age of 70. It makes me happy. Every day is a new day and it renews my spirit. You’re still winning, too - 22 years after you lifted the Brazilian league title with Gremio, you won it with Palmeiras last season. That was really cool. It’s always spectacular to win a Brazilian championship. I celebrated intensely, just like the title I won with Gremio. Let’s talk about winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil. Was the secret knowing how to control a dressing room full of stars names? That squad didn’t have as many egos as the press imagined – they were united. They only needed someone to lead them, so they could put into practice the quality they already had. I did nothing more than speak, organise and change some aspects of training. What did you think when Ronaldo got that weird haircut for the semi-final and final? I was pissed off! I thought, ‘How is someone going to play a semi-final with that hair? With that look?’ Players do things we can’t imagine, but what can we do? We have to understand why they’ve done it, then get something good out of it. That’s what happened to Ronaldo. He got that bizarre haircut, but scored the two goals in the final that gave Brazil a fifth title. What comes to mind when you remember the 7-1 defeat to Germany in 2014? When we conceded the first goal, we were too worried about a second and third, and our reaction didn’t happen. When I think about it now, it was a collective problem. We all made more mistakes than usual and the Germans took advantage with coolness and quality to score the goals. I don’t think much about the score, but about the defeat, which stopped us getting to the final. How has your relationship with Brazil fans been since then? Very good. It’s hard to go on the street without being asked for photos, conversations, hugs… That’s one thing I didn’t think could happen after the 7-1. Once in a while they talk about it, but they also talk about my achievements with Brazil and the clubs I worked with. What was your spell as Portugal boss like? I arrived after Portugal had suffered a disaster in 2002, being eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup. We reformulated the team, were runners-up at Euro 2004, and then made history by finishing fourth at the 2006 World Cup. The team was later improved by Fernando Santos, and they won Euro 2016 with seven, eight or nine players from that 2004 team. We helped Portugal’s national team to think, play
and behave in a different way. I think it was crucial for the European Championship title. Ronaldo or Cristiano Ronaldo? They have different characteristics. Ronaldo was a No.9, a goalscorer, while Cristiano has adapted himself to be that. He played on the wing then. I’d like to have both on my team! You’re more intimate with Cristiano, right? A lot more. I lived in Portugal for six-and-a-half years, following his career from the beginning, and I have a friendship with him. You managed Chelsea for seven months in 2008-09 – what was your English like then? Not good – enough to communicate with the players. Talking to the press was tougher, and at times we didn’t totally get across the idea we wanted using a translator. Did you get on with all the players? I had a good relationship, but at times it was different because of the characteristics I had to manage in the group. What I was supposed to do, I did. Some people liked it, some didn’t. The ones that didn’t like it acted the way they wanted to. I have no regrets. Are you referring to Didier Drogba’s injury, when he wanted to go to Paris for treatment and you disagreed? I’m referring to his injury, and other situations we had to deal with inside the club. Whenever I meet Drogba now, we’ll chat like friends. He knows that when you’re in charge, you have to make tough decisions. If we worked together again, we’d be good friends and have another kind of relationship. We had our own opinions in that moment, but that’s OK. I’m happy with the opportunity I had in England and I’ve been treated really well every time I’ve returned to Chelsea. It was a good moment of my career. Have you received any other invitations to work in England? When I was still in charge of Portugal, I had an invitation from Newcastle. When I left Chelsea I had a consultation with Tottenham, but I had to fulfil my contract with Chelsea, which didn’t release me to other English teams. That’s why I went to Uzbekistan. Would you have accepted Spurs’ invitation? Yes, I would have liked to. I had other chances to return, but they weren’t so advantageous or I couldn’t leave where I was. It’s a wonderful country to work in. I’m an unconditional fan of English football – mainly its organisation. At 70, are you thinking about retirement? I can think about either extending or finishing my career at any time, because it all depends on my situation. When I came back to Brazil with Palmeiras, it was a two-and-a-half-year contract. My plan was to retire when that deal was over, but I don’t have a specific date. I’m still working with motivation and trying to keep my agreement with Palmeiras. You’ve won so many titles in your career, so what are the ambitions for your remaining time as a manager? My ambition is to win it all over again! [Laughs] I’ve won 27 titles as a coach over 37 years – if I could win another one, two or three trophies, that’s what I’m going to try to do until the end of my time at Palmeiras.