Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has a seven-year contract in front of him from the English FA.
The Times says at a dinner with Portuguese football federation officials in a private mezzanine area of the plush Hotel Aviz restaurant just off the Praça Marqués de Pombal in Lisbon, where the Portugal manager had been making a recording for broadcast on the TFS radio station tomorrow, Scolari was asked about the atmosphere at his talks with "the English".
"He laid out contracts for five . . . and seven years on the table," Scolari said, raising his hands in the air. "The official said, 'We should speak English'. I said, 'Speak what you want." Laughter broke out among officials who seemed to be resigned to Scolari's departure. "I didn't speak Arabian in Arabia, but I am learning English," Scolari added.
One of those present at the dinner said: "They [the federation officials] are really upset about all the publicity. The federation knows he's on his way. They just don't want the Portuguese people to know. They don't want it to be a big issue before the World Cup. But all the money is on him going."
The Times says at a dinner with Portuguese football federation officials in a private mezzanine area of the plush Hotel Aviz restaurant just off the Praça Marqués de Pombal in Lisbon, where the Portugal manager had been making a recording for broadcast on the TFS radio station tomorrow, Scolari was asked about the atmosphere at his talks with "the English".
"He laid out contracts for five . . . and seven years on the table," Scolari said, raising his hands in the air. "The official said, 'We should speak English'. I said, 'Speak what you want." Laughter broke out among officials who seemed to be resigned to Scolari's departure. "I didn't speak Arabian in Arabia, but I am learning English," Scolari added.
One of those present at the dinner said: "They [the federation officials] are really upset about all the publicity. The federation knows he's on his way. They just don't want the Portuguese people to know. They don't want it to be a big issue before the World Cup. But all the money is on him going."
