LUIZ FELIPE Scolari has moved to assuage the disappointment at Chelsea provoked by the sight of Robinho lining up against them at Eastlands this evening by revealing he rejected the opportunity to join Manchester City towards the end of last season as a replacement for Sven-Goran Eriksson.
City's proposed takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group allowed them to prise Robinho from under Chelsea's noses for a British record €41 million, denying Scolari his principal transfer target.
That Robinho will make his City debut against his long-standing suitors is galling, yet Scolari's insistence he was contacted by members of Thaksin Shinawatra's regime well before thoughts turned to Mark Hughes has provided another intriguing subplot to the clash between the richest clubs in world football.
"They came to Portugal to discuss it and talked to me about what they wanted to do in the next three or four years," said Scolari. "They offered me the job. They offered me a good (financial) situation but at the time I was with Portugal. I said to all the clubs who contacted me then - Valencia, the others - that I needed time. But . . . when the president of the Portuguese football federation said I could negotiate with other clubs, Chelsea came in. City had proposed a big project with great ideas. If they follow it, maybe it's sure they'll arrive as one of the 10 biggest clubs in the world."
Abu Dhabi United Group's arrival on the scene altered the landscape of the English game, with Chelsea suddenly confronted by a club capable of going head to head on astronomical transfer fees and wages. Robinho's move from Real Madrid signalled as much and, while Scolari has accepted the stance of the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, on refusing to raise a bid above the club's valuation of the 24-year-old, he suggested he still regrets missing out and blames "those around the player" for scuppering the deal.
"We didn't pay what we thought was not correct for the club, the agent, the player," said Scolari. "That is the correct philosophy for Chelsea. As manager, I make technical decisions on which player we should bring here. But I have zero influence on money.
"There were many problems between agents and men outside the deal, not the player. Did City pay too much? No. He's a very good player . . . But we can forget about Robinho now."
Scolari also expressed disappointment at Steve Clarke's decision to tender his resignation as assistant first-team coach, rejected by Kenyon, to become Gianfranco Zola's assistant at West Ham. Talks between the clubs are ongoing over compensation.
Guardian Service
