Scolari: Best coach in the world?

[lond2345]

here is something interesting. Scolari has won the biggest prize of them all, the world cup. He has won Copa Libertadores which is the top prize in club soccer in the Americas. Now he is going for the top prize for continental soccer in europe (national teams)

If he does win the Euro Cup can he go down as one of the best ever? not only would he have the world cup and the club championship of the americas, he would also have the national team championship of europe.

if he wins the euro 04 would he be already the best ever? nobody else has won 3 of the 7 biggest prizes in soccer.

top 6 prizes in soccer:
world cup
club soccer: champions league/uefa cup/copa libertadores
continental Nat teams: euro cup/copa america

any combination of 3 would do. Has a coach besides Scolari ever won the world cup plus the top continental cup (whether it be the euro cup or copa america?)

would this record be onpar with what Bora has done? Im sure Scolari will stay coaching in Europe after he takes Portugal to the world cup in 06. He will probably get his chance at a club side and maybe compete for the champions league. Would he go down as the best ever if he wins the champions league? (assuming he wins the coming Euro final)

[russ]

It's clear Scolari is an excellent coach.

Of course what makes a coach great sometimes is the players.A good example would be Phil Jackson in NBA basketball.Does he really win all those titles without Michael Jordan then later Kobe/ShaQ?

Having said that ,Scolari has taken Portugal's golden generation within reach of some real gold.Let's see how that goes.

I would also submit Rehagel as a top coach.

[Kontra]

The "golden generation" is over, only Figo still plays from that team.

Now its the "winners generation", with Deco, Maniche, Ricardo Carvalho, etc

Scolari took long to understand this, he spent 1,5 years making silly matches with silly teams, it was a waste of time. Then put the same team again in the 1st European Cup match and lost vs Greece.
After this and all the pressure of the media and the country to put the new guys playing (the guys who won the uefa cup and champions league), he finally put them to play in the 2nd match like he never did during 1,5 years.
I mean, for Ricardo Carvalho to be the best european defender he has to be the best Portuguese one!! And so on.

So i think his perception and study of the players is really not good, like he didnt went to see 1 single Porto champions league match, or one Benfica match, etc... How is this possible in a national coach.

But after the players being there, and his stubordness didnt work with the old team in the 1st match, he finally put the right team to play.
And he's very good motivating the players, the country, very good public relations, and excelent making substitutions!

So now that he puts a good 11 starter, the rest is just about making subs, and he does that great.

[JoniP]

Yes Scolari is not so good as it may apear.. Did you know that Maniche was not to be called by scolari? Did you know that Ricardo Carvalho and Deco were till the game against Greece portuguese substitutes.. The man spent 1,5 years playing with a team that hardly won a match.. Not to mention that the best portuguese keeper Vitor Baia was left out (this doesn't mean Ricardo is not good).. Now he has changed the team.. Not too late as it looks!

But if you want my opinion the best coach at the moment is José Mourinho he won Uefa cup and the Champions League in the last 2 years.. How can he win the other titles you mentioned he doesn't coach a national team and he certainlly wont be coaching a team in the Americas..

[herewego]

Helmut Schön won 1972 Euro and 1974 World Cup.

In addition he was 1966 WC 2nd, 1970 WC 3rd, 1976 Euro 2nd.

But had no club football successes, for the only reason, that he never managed a club team, as he has been germans 2nd coach till 1962 and german coach from ´62 till '78 and then retired.

[deejay]

Yes Scolari is not so good as it may apear.. Did you know that Maniche was not to be called by scolari? Did you know that Ricardo Carvalho and Deco were till the game against Greece portuguese substitutes.. The man spent 1,5 years playing with a team that hardly won a match.. Not to mention that the best portuguese keeper Vitor Baia was left out (this doesn't mean Ricardo is not good).. Now he has changed the team.. Not too late as it looks!

But if you want my opinion the best coach at the moment is José Mourinho he won Uefa cup and the Champions League in the last 2 years.. How can he win the other titles you mentioned he doesn't coach a national team and he certainlly wont be coaching a team in the Americas..

That what most people have said about Scolari during his entire career. Irritating player selections. Takes too long to form his team. Yet regardless, he has won everything where he has coached. Though I'm not sure you can say he dominates. Still what you see is a flexibility to match new circumstances and serenity against opposition.

[lond2345]

Big and brave Scolari is just one game way from greatness
by Gordon Strachan
http://football.guardian.co.uk/euro2004/comment/story/0,14584,1252219,00.html (click for full article)

"Luiz Felipe Scolari will have to be considered the world's best manager if Portugal win the European Championship. In fact I don't think anybody could get near him. To lift the World Cup with Brazil and then take a country to victory in this tournament would be some going. It's never been done before and Scolari would leave everyone in his shadow.

There's a fair bit of competition for the title of the greatest at the moment. Sir Alex Ferguson is up there and so are Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti. Arsène Wenger's in the pack, although he's still searching for that big trophy - the European Cup - that will make history. Jose Mourinho's done well over the past few years but I only call a manager great when he's hung around for 15 years, and Scolari's done that.

He might not have been well known in Britain before he took the Brazil job but he's a guy who won the Libertadores Cup with two different clubs, Gremio in 1995 and Palmeiras in 1999. And people shouldn't try to play down what he's done over the past two years by saying Brazil have a huge population, big players and a great history and Portugal have been at home.

Portugal are the first hosts to reach a European Championship final for 20 years and anyway it's not as easy as that to win things. Manchester United have huge crowds, big players and a great history but they went 26 years without winning the championship. Liverpool and Chelsea have spent fortunes and haven't won the Premiership. You still have to be that man, that leader. Every successful team needs a leader and Scolari is that."

[freezer]

Scolari is good. Mourinho is better... Lucky Chelsea fans... I hope he burns down England with his so called arrogance witch somehow always converts into titles in record time.

He is only 40 years old. Hope he trains Portugal national team in a few years from now.

[Kaushik]

Scolari is definitely one of the boldest, fearless, intelligent and successful coaches ever. However, along with Scolari one must mention Mario Zagallo (WC champion in 1970, 1994; WC runners up in 1998) and Vittorio Pozzo (WC win in 1934 and 1938). In addition, Rinus Michels merits credit for introducing total football. As does Vicente Feola of Brazil in 1958 WC, for revolutionizing attacking football.

Scolari's advantage is the number of titles he has won and his successes both at club and international level.