Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, stressed Saturday that he would not be coaching any national teams between now and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In an interview with the monthly football review Trivela, Scolari, 60, added that he would "only return to Brazil when his coaching career was over, to visit his best friends".
But he also did not rule out pursuing his club coaching career. Scolari in April turned down the job as Mexico coach, and press here have often linked him as a potential successor to incumbent Brazil coach Dunga. Scolari's track record is certainly impressive: he won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil before taking Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 where they were beaten 1-0 by Greece.
He managed Portugal in the 2006 World Cup in Germany where they managed to reach the semi-finals, losing to France. Scolari then took Portugal to Euro 2008 but the team were eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old has been inspirational in Napoli's rise to the upper reaches of Serie A this season and won a call-up to coach Diego Maradona's first Argentina squad for Wednesday's friendly in Scotland.
"I want to stay. I know Chelsea have looked at me but this issue is for my agent and the club," he told Saturday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't believe there is any intention to let me go and I am pleased about that, I'm really happy at Napoli."
Lavezzi hopes staying at Napoli, where Maradona won two Italian titles, will allow him to become a key Argentina player. "I dream of becoming a fixture in the national team even if I realise that we have many good forwards and the competition is ruthless. Napoli will have to help me with this," he said.
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