Big Phil's words of wisdom

By Chris Charles

Scolari tells it how it is

Luiz Felipe Scolari appears to have ruled himself out of the running for the England job, citing the media intrusion which comes with the England job.

Had 'Big Phil' taken the job, the press would have quickly come to realise that the Portugal coach is - in stark contrast to outgoing coach Sven-Goran Eriksson - not afraid to say what he thinks.

In ruling himself out of the job, Scolari said: "There were 20 reporters in front of my house - that was too much and I didn't like it."

That ranks among the more reasoned of the Brazilian's comments. Earlier, as he found the press waiting for him at Portugal's Lisbon Airport on Friday, he stayed true to his madcap reputation by issuing a bizarre statement.

The Portugal coach told stunned reporters: "At this time of the season, coaches change clubs and listen to other clubs. Your coaches negotiate, am I any different?

"That hypocrisy that someone who's born here is a saint and someone born on the other side of the Atlantic is a devil, that doesn't exist.

"It's time to stop that clown show. I'm just like anybody else, I've got two legs, two arms and a head."

The diatribe was the latest in a long line of crazy quotes from the Brazilian, a selection of which are included below.

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I'm allowed to have meetings with who I want. I can have meetings with the Pope but to make a deal with the English FA is something else.
Hitting back at criticism from within Portugal for talking to the FA.

I can go to a ball at a dancing hall with these guys every day but I won't make an agreement.
Insisting he won't be signing any contracts until after the World Cup.

I think Pele knows nothing about soccer. He's done nothing as a coach and his analysis turns out to be always wrong. If you plan on winning a title, you do the opposite to what Pele says.
After leading Brazil to their fifth World Cup triumph.

If someone talks about my private life, for example, I'll give them a good punching. I'm not interested in suing. I like to sort things out my way.
After one of his players at Palmeiras was abused by fans over his private life.

This is war, and I have to kill and not be killed.
On football at the highest level.

Not everyone is a fan of Big Phil

I believe firmly in astrology. Since I was a kid, the stars told me I was a winner.
On being football's answer to Russell Grant.

We've shown how the future can be - more cheerful, more united.
During Euro 2004.

The most important thing is to have a unified group. The national team should be like a family.
International football.

I once played in a marvellous team, Caxias. But one player took the place of a defender we liked a lot. The central defender who played alongside me told me: 'I'm not going to cover for him. I don't like him. He goes up to join the attack and doesn't come back; I'm not doing his work for him.' We lost the next game 5-1.
On the importance of team unity.

You play with joy when you get the right result. How can you play with joy if you lose? Imagine if we go to the World Cup and play three wonderful games, all out of this world - and we don't qualify. What's the point in that? If we have to play ugly to reach the objective, we will play ugly.
Scolari's approach to the game.

South American coaches, especially Brazilians and Argentinians, have a certain mystique about them. We make everything enjoyable, and that's what football's all about - having fun!
On the joy of being Brazilian.

Pinochet tortured a lot, but there is no illiteracy in Chile.
Comments he reportedly made to Argentinian magazine El Graphico in June 2001 on Chilean dictator General Pinochet.