Carvalho welcomes Scolari to Stamford Bridge
June 12th 2008 08:45
Scolari has been well endorsed by Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has backed new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to improve the team when he takes over after Euro 2008.
Last night the club revealed the Portugal coach would succeed Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge - which came as a surprise as it was believed no formal announcement would be made until after Portugal's Euro 2008 campaign was at an end.
And Carvalho, who played in the 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Wednesday, admitted there was no hint of the impending move from within the Portugal camp in Switzerland.
"We were all shocked by the news. We heard the rumours but didn't guess he would be going to Chelsea after the Euros," said the 30-year-old.
"He is a great manager and a big personality. He's the kind of guy that players respond to and I think we can go forward with him."
Fellow Chelsea and Portugal defender Paulo Ferreira told BBC Sport: "I think Scolari is a good manager and he can do a good job there and it will be good for the club."
Scolari, who won the World Cup with his native Brazil in 2002, is likely to be unveiled during the first week of July, at which time the details of his contract will also be revealed.
Despite a number of big-name managers being linked with the job following Grant's sacking last month, PA Sport understands the 59-year-old Scolari was always Chelsea's number one choice and there was never an agreement with anyone else.
"Felipe has great qualities. He is one of the world's top coaches with a record of success at country and club level, he gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours," said a Chelsea statement.
"He was the outstanding choice. 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 about his new role until his employment with us commences."
Scolari, who has no experience of managing at club level in Europe, famously turned down the chance to manage England after Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure in 2006.
Before becoming an international manager, he enjoyed success at club level in Brazil, winning South America's equivalent of the Champions League - the Copa Libertadores - with two different clubs.
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