“Big Phil” fired by Chelsea

Brazilian Luis Felipe Scolari was fired from the head coach position of English soccer club Chelsea.

According to a statement on the club’s website, “in order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now.” Despite being one of the world's wealthiest soccer clubs, Chelsea’s fourth-place in English soccer’s top division and preparing for Champions League action appeared to weight heavily on the club’s decision.

Scolari reacted to the news of his firing by thanking the club yet expressed regret “that my time with everyone could not last longer.”

The coaching resume of “Big Phil” is filled with accomplishments; he led Gremio and Palmeiras to Copa Libertadores titles in the 1990s, took Portugal to fourth place in the last World Cup, and led Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002. Yet as ESPNSoccernet’s Jon Carter noted, other factors aside from underwhelming play doomed Scolari’s time at Chelsea:

The rumors coming out of the Chelsea camp in recent weeks have not been good. With star striker Didier Drogba benched and unable to get into the side, speculation had surfaced that other players were not happy either. A dressing room of big egos need marshalling and Scolari apparently wasn't up to the task….

Failure at this level is not tolerated. A draw against Rosenborg set the seal on Jose Mourinho's time at Stamford Bridge. A draw against Hull accounted for Scolari. Guus Hiddink and Avram Grant are apparently being lined up to take over, but it is becoming obvious that nothing but instant success is accepted at Chelsea.

Image- Sky Sports
Online Sources- Bloomberg, IHT, Press Association, Reuters, ESPNSoccernet