He now has over a quarter of a century's worth of experience in football management, but Luiz Felipe Scolari is enjoying life at Chelsea as much as any of his previous roles.

He began his coaching career in 1982 and since then a string of jobs have taken him around the world as he follows his footballing passion.

The popular Brazilian has now been at Stamford Bridge for in excess of four months and has settled quickly into his new surroundings. Such is his impact, it is difficult to remember life without him.

Beginning work at the start of July after leading Portugal in the summer's European Championships, the manager has introduced a likeable and charming style to Chelsea both on and off the field.

He's embarrassed at the thought, but Scolari is as admired by those outside Stamford Bridge as he is by those within the club, and that includes much of the media.

Upon his arrival in July, Juliano Belletti told chelseafc.com that Scolari was 'like a father figure'. It is a sentiment that has quickly spread in the squad.

The man himself, who turned 60 earlier this month, is loving life in England but remains humble about the esteem in which he is held.

'No, I don't know if everybody likes me! I like London and my job here, I try to do my best and I try to show to the people that I am a coach, a friend, and if they like me it is fantastic for me. I appreciate it,' he shrugs.

Having spent the last 26 years moving between countries, clubs and continents, Scolari has previously stressed it was not too tough a decision to swap the Portuguese coastal town of Cascais near Lisbon for leafy Surrey, and he explains that he and his family are now finding their feet in south-east England.

'My life in England is a normal life as a coach. I have more time for the club, for training, and I spend some time with the family when I have time for this.

'They like to stay in England, my son is studying at a beautiful, big school and he visited some more places than me and has more friends. All my family like to live here, and I like it here and I enjoy my life,' he says, painting the picture of a normal family life, a world removed from World Cup and Copa Libertadores victories.

The one downside however is there has not been much opportunity for sightseeing.

'I visited some places, I do this once a week when it is possible,' he explains. 'This is near Cobham because it is difficult for me to go long distances when we have training nearly every day and I have a son in school.

'Near Cobham I have seen some places, Kingston, castles, and other places near there when I have free time. It is very good, nice and green and very different to the places that I saw in Portugal.

'London? No, [I have visited] three or four times when I was free with my family, but when I go to London it is to play at Stamford Bridge!'

Ah, yes, the football. Perhaps the best evidence that Scolari is quickly growing accustomed to life in England is a glance at the top of the Premier League table. A third of the season complete and it is Chelsea above all others, albeit thanks to a rather healthy +28 goal difference.

Scolari is as expressive as ever as he shares his thoughts on English football. It makes it easy to understand his passion for the game in this country.

'The Premier League, it is more than I expect, because before I only looked at games and thought a little about games, but when I am inside it is different. It is more than I expected, it is fantastic, beautiful,' he says.

'I think this season I like more than the others when I was a club coach because it is different. Passion, emotion, beautiful games, difficult games, it is very well for a coach.'

This, don't forget comes from a man who has coached in his football-obsessed native country, as well as Kuwait, Japan and Portugal.

'There are different styles because in England we have four or five coaching styles, French, Spanish, Brazilian, English, Scottish, you know, they are different styles and very good for England,' he adds.

With regard to Chelsea's own playing style, revamped over the summer as part of the Brazilian revolution, he is happy to clear up a little confusion that has dogged fans and journalists alike in recent months.

The question is whether he employs a 4-3-3 formation, as seen with previous managers José Mourinho and Avram Grant, or whether it is a slightly varied 4-1-4-1. Minor details they may be, but as a keen football student, Scolari is only too happy to help.

'Sometimes we start to play 4-3-3 and we lose the ball, but the system that we start to play all the games is 4-3-3,' he confirms. 'But, we change the system when we are with the ball and when we lose the ball. We work on this every day at our training centre but I think the normal system is 4-3-3.'

It is put to him that there are similarities between this Chelsea and the Brazil side he guided to World Cup glory in 2002.

'With Brazil, when we won the World Cup we played 3-5-2, because the characteristics of my players meant it was possible to play,' he begins. 'I had the two full-backs, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, they don't play like that, they are wingers and I needed to adapt a system for these players.'

On the topic of internationals, Scolari welcomes much of his squad back to Cobham today after midweek action. Rival managers have been questioning the need for this round of friendlies, but Scolari is more accepting, having been on the other side of the fence recently.

'It is not a problem for us because we follow the schedule and know that in that time the players go to the national team.

'It is difficult sometimes because we stay here with five, six or seven players only and it is difficult to do our job, but we worked before the players went to the national team for the next game, then when they arrive it is only to check they are not injured, a little training and put them on the pitch,' he reasons.

'I understand my friends (international coaches) and when it is possible, I say to my players every time, they need to go to the national team because it is fantastic for them, and the coach needs to receive these players in good condition.'

Naturally Scolari will be hoping the players return to him and his staff in the same condition that they left, particularly given the injury headaches he has suffered over the past couple of months.

It is a common cliché for managers to joke about having to play themselves in fixtures when the casualties pile up. How would the former defender have coped in this league?

'If I played in the Premier League…' he ponders, 'it is difficult because I didn't play in a big team, but what I will say, I was very strong, and jumped very well and covered very well. I am not with good technical quality but I used my body, I sound English! If I played in England I think I would play well.'

Scolari the player was, as he admits, not renowned for technical ability, and as his reliable assistant and former playing opponent Murtosa already told us, was quite the bruiser when it came to defending.

'Murtosa was a winger, and played against me many times. He is short, and was fast, a different style to me,' the manager recalls. 'I was a full-back or central defender and used my body.

'Now he is my friend, I used to kick him sometimes but he is still alive, eh?'

Mischievous he may be, but Scolari is as focused and committed as they come. Rest assured he is here to stay.

By Andy Jones

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