ESM wrote:
Not one of those on the list have the same or better track record than Sven at club level.
and what exactly does Sven's track record at club level have so impressive if you don't mind me asking? just curious.. IMHO, Sven is one of the most overpaid managers in the world, especially for a manager who has never won a league championship, yet is paid higher than Carlo Ancelotti of AC Milan, who has won 3 Serie A championships, 2 CLs, and runners up in a 3rd CL final. No offense, just makes me curious.
Of the candidates, 2 Brasilian men shine for knowledge of international and continental football as well as good potential for attracting lots of Brasilian talent: Scolari and Zico. In between the two, Scolari has a longer track of coaching record, yet he has no coaching experience at club level in any European side ever.
Zico, however, has coached in Turkey for 2 years at club level, hardly any credible level of work of course, won a league championship there and a supercup in his first year. In his second year, he made it to the quarter finals of the Champions League not with a Portugese or Spanish or German but a Turkish team, which IMO shows some credibility.
They only had a 35 year old Roberto Carlos in squad that could be listed as an internationally known star, but 6 other Brasilians lesser known in Europe, some never played at such tournament level. In group stage they beat Inter, CSKA Moskow and PSV Eindhoven in all home games and drew in away games, lost only to Inter away. In knockout stage they knocked out 2 times back-to-back UEFA Cup winners FC Sevilla with a squad valued 1/5th of Sevilla's on paper. In quarter finals, they beat Chelski in Turkey 2-1 and lost 2-0 in return leg in London, and again on paper, the price value of their team was 1/10th of Chelski but they played some good footy. (in fact, they were the only team to beat Chelski in that tournament in open play)
If he were given a season or two in the Premiership, imagine what he could pull off with players like Jo, Ronaldinho (IF he actually moves to City, which doesn't sound very realistic but you'll never know), and other possible Brasilian recruits in the shape of fresh talents and experienced players.. Zico is almost worshipped in Brasil by footballers of Ronaldinho's generation. He's hailed as a role model and a hero, and widely respected in Brasil because of his past player status, and also his past service as ministry of sport in Brasil.
He's also very much respected in European Football monarch as he played during the era of Platini and the likes, and played in Serie A against such players as opponent, with whom he's still good friends today.
Players like Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Rijkaard, Capello, Klinsmann, and now Van Basten all started their reigns as managers on top and did fairly good to excellent.
Why not Zico? He helped Japan qualify to World Cup for the first time since god knows when (other than being the host nation which needs no qualification), then carried some Turkish team with no European record in their history to the quarter finals of the Champions League..
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