Big Phil is back in Brazil. After two and a half years exiled in China, Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager who won the World Cup in 2002 and led the Selecao to a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Germany in 2014, is back in his homeland, having taken the reins at Palmeiras. It is a bold move for both the club and the man himself, as the ex-Chelsea boss looks to rebuild a reputation that was severely damaged by that home World Cup catastrophe. The mission now is clear, he must repeat the historic feat he managed during his first spell as manager of the Sao Paulo-based side and win the Copa Libertadores, South America’s Champions League. Palmeiras is an institution Scolari knows well, having previously racked up 408 games as manager over two spells. Only the legendary Oswaldo Brandao, who coached the team on five occasions between 1945 and 1980, has had more matches at the helm. During Felipao’s first stint in charge, from 1997-2000, he led Palmeiras to the Copa do Brasil, Copa Mercosul and Torneio Rio-Sao Paulo, as well as the aforementioned Libertadores, which was the club’s long-awaited first continental crown. His second passage as manager lasted for two years from 2010 and he once again won the Copa do Brasil in July 2012. Palmeiras, however, were relegated at the end of the same year, Felipao having left the club by mutual consent just a few months earlier with his team 19th in the league.

Big Expectations

This time around, though, there are a lot more resources at his disposal. Palmeiras have one of the strongest squads in South America and are bookies’ favourites to win the continent’s most prestigious competition for a second time. They have recently built a new stadium and a training ground with state-of-the-art facilities, which during his unveiling Scolari said had only been matched at Chelsea in his experience as a manager. If he wanted a chance to restore his reputation, they do not come much better than this. Having said that, things are rarely so straightforward, especially when it comes to Brazilian football.