The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP,Switzerland

Luiz Felipe Scolari is one of the few in sports to admit it: He's changing jobs for the money.

He didn't quit on Portugal because Chelsea is offering a greater opportunity. He isn't heading to London for the dream job he always wanted. As far as we know, he doesn't even have a special fondness for late-afternoon tea or fish and chips.

No nonsensical blather from this straight-shooting Gene Hackman lookalike. In a brutally honest Q&A session, Big Phil admitted the big bucks of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich are the attraction of Stamford Bridge.

"Yes, that's one of the reasons," Scolari said. "Yes, absolutely."

And to show he's not a hardhearted man, Scolari even detailed that he gave the Portuguese Football Federation a chance to ante up and keep him.

"There were numbers, and we used these numbers to make a decision," he said. "The president of the Portuguese federation tried in the last 15 days to get help from sponsors, but wasn't able to reach a condition for the future similar to the offer I received. He tried his best and I tried my best."

Scolari's decision to leave Portugal at the end of the Euros was announced in the wee hours Wednesday after his team secured the first berth in the quarterfinals. He was back in front of the bench as his reserves lost 2-0 to co-host Switzerland on Sunday night, standing on the touchline, throwing up his arms with his usual gusto. Even though the result was meaningless and Scolari changed eight starters, he was busy a half-hour in, shouting at the fourth official, who warned him to cut it out or depart.

At least Scolari is leaving when his contract is up. In the wild, wild west of soccer, anything goes. Most clubs show more willingness to attack on the business end than they do on the field.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Scolari's biggest star and the world's best player, has four years left on his contract with European club champion Manchester United. Instead of saying he can't wait to get back to Old Trafford to try to make it two in a row, he talks about how much he'd love to play in Spain, where Real Madrid would love to have him. Alex Ferguson, Man United's manager, says he and the Glazer family would rather sit Ronaldo in the stands for a few years than sell him, even at a $100 million-plus price.