He might be insisting that he’s 100% focused on steering Portugal to the Euro 2008 final, yet it has emerged that Phil Scolari has started planning for the new season with Chelsea.
The Guardian reveal that the feisty Brazilian has been in touch with none other than Steve Kean about a possible role at Stamford Bridge. Never heard of him? Why, he’s Chris Coleman’s Portuguese-speaking assistant at Coventry City silly, who has decided to turn down the chance of a blatant payrise and a more glamorous role to stay at the West Midlands club instead.
Apparently, Kean spent six years in Portugal as a player with Coimbra and would have acted as a translator between manager and players – who knows, he might have become the new Jose Mourinho!
“There was someone acting on behalf of Scolari who contacted me about a role at Chelsea,” said Kean. “I was very honest and explained that I’m under contract on a very exciting project at Coventry. I immediately phoned Chris [Coleman, the Coventry manager] and Ray [Ranson, the club chairman] to tell them about it and told them why I thought Chelsea had contacted me.
“I can speak Portuguese, I’ve got a lot of experience in the Premier League and I suppose I tick the boxes of what they’re looking for to help Scolari get started over here. That’s probably where it has come from. I have to say I was very flattered by the approach but the simple fact is I’m at Coventry and we are just getting started on something very exciting.”
What’s so exciting at Coventry that has prevented Keano (to his mates) from joining Chelsea? Have he, Coleman and Ranson just started a game of monopoly? I bet Kean has managed to quickly land Mayfair and Park Lane and is just about to build hotels on those squares. Could you walk away from that?