Former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has agreed to return for a third spell as head coach of Palmeiras.
The 69-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the nine-time Brasileirao champions, having previously had spells in charge from 1997 to 2000 and 2010 to 2012.
He has been without a club since leaving Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao in November last year.
Scolari was the architect of Palmeiras’ only Copa Libertadores win in 1999, with a team featuring the likes of Alex, Zinho and Roque Junior.
He spent five years as Portugal boss before heading to Chelsea in 2008, where he only lasted until the following February.
His second spell with Palmeiras followed a stint at Bunyodkor before a return to the national team in 2012, with whom he won the 2013 Confederations Cup but left in humiliating fashion after the infamous 7-1 thrashing by Germany on home soil in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals.
Scolari took over as manager of Chelsea on 1 July 2008. This was announced shortly after Portugal’s Euro 2008 match against the Czech Republic on 11 June. With this appointment, Scolari became the first World Cup-winning manager to manage in the Premier League. In previous press conferences, Scolari had talked about “tantrums” and “triumphs” and had a reputation as a tough and unpredictable person.
When asked whether his decision to join Chelsea was financial, he responded, “Yes, that is one of the reasons,” but also added, “I’m 59 and I don’t want to work as a coach until I’m 70. I want to retire in four or five years, so it was a financial matter but there are other things.” He also said, “I could offer my son the opportunity to study elsewhere. You only get this kind of opportunity once so you take it or leave it, but it was not only financial.”
Scolari later said that he had turned down an offer to manage Manchester City.
Scolari’s first match in charge of Chelsea was a friendly match against Chinese side Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, a 4–0 victory. He made Barcelona midfielder Deco, a player he was familiar with on the Portuguese national team, his first signing for a fee of around £8 million, but was subsequently frustrated in his attempts to sign Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid.
Under Scolari, Chelsea had the biggest away win of the club in five years in which Chelsea won 5–0 at the Riverside Stadium in October 2008. It was also the club’s biggest win ever at Middlesbrough.