Portugal head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is now favourite to become the next England boss after the FA travelled to Lisbon to interview the Brazilian World Cup winner.

Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick and lawyer Simon Johnson have returned from a trip to Lisbon after speaking, with the permission of the Portuguese FA, to Luiz Felipe Scolari about becoming England coach.

But as he arrived back in England, Barwick told Sky Sports News: “I think it is well evidenced now that we were in Lisbon, speaking to (Luiz) Felipe Scolari, as part of the process of recruiting the next coach and that process continues.”

The FA first received permission to talk to Scolari in February when FA chairman Geoff Thompson contacted his counterpart, Portuguese Football Federation chairman Gilberto Madail.

But Madail says coach Luiz Felipe Scolari would not agree to become the next England boss before the World Cup and that Scolari will only decide on his future when his deal with the Portugal team ends in late July.

“We have got a gentlemen's agreement and it will not be broken. I've got his word and that's it,” said Madail.

No further announcement is expected today, but Scolari has emerged as Sven-Goran Eriksson's likely successor after the FA's five-man selection panel could not settle on a British candidate.

Scolari, who is rumoured to be taking English lessons, undoubtedly has the best credentials of any of the candidates, having won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and taken Portugal to the final of Euro 2004.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | google | yahoo | technorati