FA chief executive Brian Barwick has returned from Lisbon, confirming he had been interviewing Portugal’s Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari about the job of next England manager.
Barwick told reporters at Heathrow Airport: “I think it is evident 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.”
When he arrived later at FA headquarters in London he admitted the process was continuing “apace.”
Barwick had flown out on Wednesday for the talks, having got permission from the Portuguese football federation to talk to Scolari.
Scolari has no doubts about his suitability for the job.
In a recent interview with the BBC, the Brazilian said: “I am a good coach and I am doing a very good job in Portugal.
“The national team in Portugal is maybe better than before. I know I am a good coach. I am a man of the world. I have worked in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Brazil and now I work in Portugal. I am happy in any country.”
Asked if he would like the England job, Scolari said: “I (would) like the job, yes. But I know if I want to coach the English national team I need to learn the language more and I need to know more about the national team job.”
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