I need a hug, says Luiz Felipe Scolari on Gremio return
Luiz Felipe Scolari said he needed a hug and some affection as the former Brazil coach returned on Wednesday to his favourite club Gremio after an 18-year absence.
|Last Updated: Jul 31, 2014, 08:59 AM IST|Source: Reuters
SAO PAULO - Luiz Felipe Scolari said he needed a hug and some affection as the former Brazil coach returned on Wednesday to his favourite club Gremio after an 18-year absence.
Scolari has endured three miserable weeks after his Brazil side crashed to an unprecedented 7-1 defeat by Germany in front of a home crowd in Belo Horizonte in their World Cup semi-final.
The 65-year-old was officially fired by Brazil on July 14, one day after the World Cup ended and two days after his side suffered another embarrassing result, a 3-0 loss to Netherlands in the third-place match.
"I`ve been here twice before and always had a marvellous relationship," Scolari told a news conference as he was officially presented at the Porto Alegre club.
"I came back at this moment because I need a hug, some affection, people who know me and Gremio is the right place, because I know that the players and the supporters will be with me.
"Everyone knows that I`m a Gremio fan," added Scolari, who was greeted by more than one hundred fans as he arrived at Porto Alegre airport. "The only invitation that I would accept is from Gremio. "I`m at home and happy to be at Gremio again. There`s nothing better than being here today."
Scolari had a brief spell at Gremio in 1987, then returned in 1993, making his name in the subsequent four years.
He turned Gremio into one of the most feared and ruthless teams in South America, winning the Copa Brasil in 1994, Libertadores Cup in 1995 and the Brazilian championship the following year.
Gremio have appointed 24 different coaches since Scolari left the club at the end of 1996, including Celso Roth, who has had three stints in charge, and Renato Portaluppi, who has coached them twice.
Scolari replaces Enderson Moreira who was fired on Sunday after his side lost at home to Coritiba in the Brazilian championship.
Gremio are 10th in the 20-team table with 19 points from 12 games.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.