Scolari confirms Evergrande departure
Print Edition
Luiz Felipe Scolari confirmed his departure from champion Guangzhou Evergrande but refused to rule out coaching in the Chinese Super League again after securing a third league title in a row.
World Cup winner Scolari took over from Fabio Cannavaro in June 2015 and led Guangzhou to three league crowns as well as the AFC Champions League and Chinese FA Cup.
He originally signed an 18-month contract with the club before extending his deal for another year at the end of last season, but has decided to end his association with the seven-time CSL winner.
“My story with Evergrande is finished,” the 68-year-old Brazilian said yesterday. “But my story with China may continue. I will carefully think about it. No one knows where we are heading, but I hope Evergrande club can have a bright future.
“I don’t know if I will come back to China. I will make my decision carefully. My football life has taken me all over the world, but China is one the three best places I’ve ever worked in.”
Scolari led Guangzhou to the title this season despite rival Shanghai SIPG spending more than US$150 million over the last two years to lure big-name players like Brazilians Oscar and Hulk to the club. Evergrande clinching the crown with two rounds to spare.
It fell short elsewhere, however, with SIPG knocking it out in the FA Cup semifinals and ACL quarterfinals, a trophy Scolari won with Evergrande in 2015.
Chinese media have linked Italians Carlo Ancelotti and Cannavaro with the job at Guangzhou which is expected to name Scolari’s successor soon.
On Saturday, Tianjin Quanjian pipped Manuel Pellegrini’s Hebei China Fortune to third place in the CSL to claim the final berth in next season’s ACL.
Tianjin, coached by Cannavaro, beat champion Guangzhou 2-1 at Tianhe Stadium while Hebei lost a nine-goal thriller against Shandong Luneng despite Ezequiel Lavezzi scoring a hat-trick.
Tianjin moved ahead of Pellegrini’s team by two points and will join Guangzhou and SIPG in next year’s ACL, although Hebei could still qualify if SIPG beats Shanghai Shenhua in the final of the FA Cup later this month.
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