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(Sports Focus) Scolari replaces Cannavaro to coach Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande

Xinhua, June 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

GUANGZHOU, June 4 (Xinhua) - Brazilian star coach Luiz Felipe Scolari replaced Italian Fabio Cannavaro to take the rein of Chinese Super League four-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande, the club announced here on Thursday night.

Guangzhou Evergrande, also the 2013 AFC Champions League winners, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Scolari, but no further detalis is available so far.

The Chinese club sacked Cannavaro after a 2-2 home draw with Tianjin Teda in the 13th round of new season on Thursday night, annoucing Scolari's replacement almost at the same time.

The club said that the change of coach is to meet the strategic need and that a press conference will be held in a few days.

The 41-year-old Cannavaro took charge of Guangzhou Evergrande, the most shinning Chinese club in recent years, last December after Marcello Lippi's resignation.

"We believe Scolari fits our club's strategy and ambition," a top official of the club told Xinhua.

"We also believe Scolari will make improvement not only on our club, but also on Chinese soccer," he added.

"The reason for the change is the same as before. We always focus on the strategy instead of the results of games," he noted.

Guangzhou Evergrande had got in touch with Scolari in 2012 but the Brazilian did not say yes at that time.

The 66-year-old Scolari had guided Brazil to win the FIFA World Cup in 2002, and led Portugal to the runnerups in the European Championship in 2004. He retook the rein of Brazil for the 2014 World Cup but stepped down after the humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semifinal. Endit