So Chelsea ended months of umming and ahhing last night by appointing Luiz Felipe Scolari as their new manager. The Portugal boss told us that talk of Cristiano Ronaldo’s post-Euro 2008 future could disrupt the team, but he appears to have no qualms over making his own departure public midway through proceedings.
But are Chelsea making a big mistake passing up the opportunity to appoint Roberto Mancini, who won three straight league titles at Inter Milan, or Frank Rijkaard, who won a La Liga/Champions League double while playing utterly sexy football?
Yes, Scolari won the World Cup while managing Brazil, but with the players he had at his disposal and the terrible showings by France, Argentina, Italy and Spain, was that really an amazing feat? After all, it had been done four times before and will be done again many times in the future.
Would Chelsea fans be so welcoming if Otto Rehhagel - the man who took Greece to Euro 2004 glory at Scolari’s expense - was appointed? Probably not, even though his achievement was arguably more impressive than that of the Gene Hackman look-alike.
Avram Grant’s appointment was met with disgust by Chelsea fans but even he had won league titles in Europe (well, Israel, but they play in the Champions League) and achieved reasonable success in international football - going unbeaten with the Israeli national side in a World Cup qualifying group containing France and Switzerland.
After weeks of big names and endless speculation, The Spoiler can’t help but feel Chelsea settled for the wrong man.
Have the Blues made the right call in appointing Scolari? Let us know with a vote and comment below.
An international tournament is very nearly upon us which can only mean one thing: it’s time for Cristiano Ronaldo to piss off England. At the 2006 World Cup, the C-Ron Likeability-ometer took a Big Brother villain-esque plunge following his winking tactics, and after his recent disloyal comments and impending departure, the tricky winger’s popularity will experience a similar fall. Despite the inflated importance of the C-Ron debate, the rumour mills have been turning elsewhere…
James Milner to Liverpool
Really? Until recently it didn’t look like Rafa Benitez had even heard of English players let alone ones nowhere near getting into the national team.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: We can just about believe Barry, but not Milner
Frank Rijkaard or Roberto Mancini to Chelsea
The Blues have decided that it might be a good idea to interview the only two guys that haven’t said no to the Chelsea job before they decide Blackburn might be a better option.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Definitely two of the frontrunners. Maybe.
Joe Lewis to Everton
It’s amazing what being part of the England squad can do to your valuation. Apparently Peterborough’s goalkeeper wasn’t just brought along for a laugh and is actually worth three million.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Have Everton even got three million?
Eidur Gudjohnsen to Newcastle or West Ham
Another transfer window opens and again Barcelona
Blues’ dream of being Premier League’s most entertaining club in sight - during the summer at least
In spite of guiding Chelsea to within a spot kick of the Champions League, a penalty which he could hardly be blamed for missing, thunder-faced Avram Grant has been asked to lose Chelsea’s number and stop bothering them in exchange for a large cheque.
Mr Grant, who you’ll recall was also a whisker away from winning the Premier League, a goal which he may have accomplished if his predecessor Jose Mourinho had bothered to do his job properly in the first few games of the season, instead of conducting a high stakes game of ego chess with his employer, will now have plenty of time on his hands to read the papers.
There, he will find a great deal of information to intrigue him, such as reports of recent warm conversations between Mr Mourinho and Mr Abramovich (The Sun), and news that Roman Abramovich recently gave the same Mr Mourinho the GBP2 million Ferrari of his dreams (the Observer) - a 612 Scaglietti. Mr Grant must feel like the wife who has just
Brazilian superstar finds room in his crowded nightlife schedule for a trip to a local hospital
Brazilian party boy Ronaldinho, who has spent the last six months of his career at Barcelona working on his reputation as damaged goods, could have a lot more leisure time on his hands if a secretive midnight medical check up turns out to be accurate.
Spanish news website ADN reports that last week Ronaldinho turned up at the Delfos Clinic in Barcelona at 1.30 in the morning with his own private doctor, and unknown to Barcelona medical staff or Frank Rijkaard, underwent a series of x-rays and medical tests that showed his physical state to be far worse than previously imagined - “dire”, in fact.
Rumours are aswirl that the tests were performed at the urging of one of the clubs interested in buying him, and just last week Silvio Berlusconi, who had previously been pursuing the Brazilian with all the ardour of Russell Brand with perfume in his nostrils
Much-maligned Chelsea boss is on the verge of greatness
When Jose Mourinho walked the plank of the Good Ship Chelsea, no one expected his replacement to last more than a few games. But here we are, and Avram Grant is just two games from giving Chelsea their best season ever. With the Toad at the helm, the results have kept on coming, yet he faces criticism and constant talk of his imminent succession.
He may not have a UEFA Pro License, a good pedigree in management or the ability to show emotions through facial expressions, but does Avram really deserve the boot based on this season’s performances? Votes and comments below, please.
Still speechless with disbelief at the sight of the world’s most expensive team leaving the Carling Cup final on Sunday WITH LOSERS’ MEDALS, Roman Abramovich has decided to fight the pain and humiliation by spending yet more eye-watering sums of money. According to the Italian Gazzetta dello Sport, Poppa Abramovich is eager to buy Kaka, who is currently on loan to Milan from Jesus, for 33 million euros, presumably to make Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack compete even more viciously for a place in the side.
Mr Abramovich also apparently has room in his boot for yet more luxury shopping, namely Valencia’s David Villa and a manager, Barcelona’s Frank Rijkaard, at 130 million euros for the three decorative items.
Message boards have reacted to the news with purest scorn, mainly centred around the concept that Kaka can be bought so cheaply. One Spanish commenter writes: “Fuck me! Who knew a kilo of footballer was so cheap? Abramovich must have a young person’s discount card. At those prices I’d buy me a Villa and put it into the lounge next to the telly. Enough with your jokes. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BUY VILLA, PREPARE YOUR WALLET FOR A GOOD WHACK.”
Over the last year or so, Ronaldinho has been getting a bit of stick for being lazy and a little tubby, prompted by pictures such as the one above. In his last two games, however, Ronny has taken off his shirt at half time to let all and sundry see his rock-hard fat-free abs.
Ronaldinho treats press to a display of world-class idleness
Ronaldinho, the player who seems to have had Roman Abramovich reaching for his biggest wallet recently yesterday showed his prospective buyer the kind of half-hearted approach to the game they can expect if they are stupid enough to pay him a vast fortune each week.
At the end of his training session with the Barcelona first team, Ronaldinho, perhaps looking forward to eating an apple through a letterbox, was walking off with Lionel Messi. Coach Frank Rijkaard, aware that his number one star hadn’t bothered doing his exercises called him back, yet the Brazilian had the brass neck to keep on walking.
When Ronaldinho finally turned round, Rijkaard made him repeat the exercises, which Ronaldinho did like a sulking child with minimum effort, at which point Rijkaard grabbed his arm and told him to try harder, which he did with as much bad grace as he could muster.
Mr Abramovich will no doubt be delighted to learn his prospective new player shows all the all the petulance, contempt for authority and sense of entitlement appropriate to a Chelsea player.
Roman Abramovich’s addiction to goals leads him to a couple of oddballs
Turns out Avram Grant might not need that coaching badge to sew on his swimming trunks after all – according to the hysterical Spanish paper Sport, Chelsea’s manager next year will be Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard.
Poppa Abramovich has made no secret of his overwhelming need for fancy football, and
