Five-times world champions Brazil extended their unimpressive run of results on Sunday when they scrambled a 2-2 draw with England in a friendly at the rebuilt and newly re-opened Maracana.
Brazil were booed by their own fans after stumbling to a 2-2 draw with Chile in their first friendly at a 2014 World Cup stadium on Wednesday.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's second coming as Brazil manager ended in a defeat as goals from Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard earned a vibrant England side a 2-1 win at Wembley on Wednesday, their first over the south Americans for 23 years.
Luiz Felipe Scolari is refusing to accept that he has lost his magic touch and believes he merits a second stint as Brazil coach, despite criticism of his recent coaching record.
Ronaldinho has been told by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari that he must justify his surprise inclusion for Brazil after a one-year absence.
Bunyodkor's manager Luiz Felipe Scolari (right) gives instructions to Rivaldo during their championship soccer match against Pakhtakor in Tashkent on Sunday.
Nicolas Anelka rescued Chelsea's FA Cup hopes on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Watford to avoid a shock fifth-round exit. In their first game since Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked and with replacement manager Guus Hiddink watching in the stands, Chelsea fell behind to the Championship (second division) strugglers when Tamas Priskin netted with 21 minutes remaining.
Russia coach Guus Hiddink said he was prepared to manage Chelsea for the rest of the season after receiving permission to combine the two jobs.
England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in Wednesday's FA Cup replay against Southend United.
Midfielders Gilberto Silva and Kleberson, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, have defended coach Dunga's plans to keep the squad preparing for the 2010 finals isolated from fans and media.
There is still plenty to be decided in the final round of group matches in the UEFA Champions League this week even though 13 of the 16 teams through to the knockout phase are already known. European Cup holders Manchester United and the likes of nine-times champions Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal and Liverpool have secured their places in the first knockout round.
AS Roma and Juventus lost on their domestic returns from midweek UEFA Champions League action as their miserable starts to the season continued. In England, frontrunners Liverpool and Chelsea fared better with wins while Valencia top the table on goal difference in Spain and Lazio, Udinese and champions Inter Milan share the lead in Italy.
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari gets his first crack at Manchester United on Sunday when his table-topping side host the Premier League champions. The Brazilian has enjoyed an impressive start at Stamford Bridge since taking over from Avram Grant and will relish locking horns with one of Britain's greatest managers.
England midfielder Frank Lampard has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said on Tuesday that Frank Lampard would remain at Chelsea for this season and beyond, underlining the club's refusal to consider any offers for the England midfielder. Speaking at his first news conference since taking the Chelsea post, Scolari said he had spoken to Lampard and received assurances the player was still committed to the London club.
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Robinho is a transfer target for Chelsea, according to the player's agent, Wagner Ribeiro. The impending arrival of Luiz Felipe Scolari as the new Chelsea manager -- he takes the helm officially on Tuesday -- has increased the likelihood of the move happening.
Chelsea signed Portugal's Brazilian-born playmaker Deco from Barcelona on Monday.
Luiz Felipe Scolari will start life as Chelsea's new manager at home to FA Cup winners Portsmouth after the 2008-09 fixture list was released on Monday. Manchester United, who pipped Chelsea to the title on the final day last season, begin their title defence at home to Newcastle United.
Chelsea captain John Terry is predicting a "fight to the death" as his team attempt to end Manchester United's three-year domination of the Premier League.
Former Brazil, Portugal and Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been named coach of Bunyodkor, the Uzbek champions said on Tuesday.
Juventus are preparing to battle with an expensive war machine in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg against Chelsea, said coach Claudio Ranieri. Hosts Juve need to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Ranieri's former club, who have been revitalised by Guus Hiddink after the Dutchman took over as coach from Luiz Felipe Scolari last month.
Chelsea marked the start of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink's spell in charge with a 1-0 victory against Aston Villa in Birmingham on Saturday to keep their Premier League hopes alive. Hiddink, who has taken the job until the end of the season following the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari, watched the top flight's leading scorer Nicolas Anelka bag a vital three points with a well-worked goal before halftime.
Guus Hiddink is in talks with Chelsea to take over as manager until the end of the season while continuing as Russia coach, he told Reuters on Tuesday.
Chelsea sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday after seven months in charge, saying that results and performances 'appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season'.
Chelsea have signed Portugal winger Ricardo Quaresma on loan from Inter Milan until the end of the season, the Premier League club said on Monday.
Chelsea went some way to relieving the pressure on coach Luiz Felipe Scolari by coming from behind to beat Southend United 4-1 in an entertaining FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday.
Luiz Felipe Scolari might have to make a quick call to his agent if Chelsea lose to Manchester United on Sunday.
Chelsea, last season's beaten finalists, are taking nothing for granted in their first match against Romanian opposition despite Cluj's lack of European experience.
Manchester City were bundled out of the English League Cup by League One Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties on Wednesday.
Chelsea's World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari becomes the latest to try to guide the rich London club to European club football's big prize on Tuesday when the Champions League groups stages kick off.
Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari says he has a strong side capable of winning not just the main prizes, the Champions League and Premier League, but the FA Cup and League Cup too.
Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has been appointed Portugal coach, the Portuguese Soccer Federation (FPF) said on Friday.
Switzerland notched their first win at a European Championship finals when it least mattered by beating a second-string side from Euro 2008 quarter-finalists Portugal 2-0 on Sunday.
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said reaching the Euro 2004 final with Portugal is a greater thrill than winning the World Cup with Brazil. \n\n
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said losing on penalties was 'very hard'.\n\n\n\n
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who plotted England's downfall in the 2002 World Cup with his native Brazil, will attempt a repeat performance.
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson could take charge of Mexico, according to the president of the national federation. Eriksson is manager of Manchester City but recent media reports have said he is likely to be sacked despite a respectable ninth-place finish in the English Premier League.
Portugal decided not to appeal his red card received in the stormy second-round win over the Netherlands.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said the Portugal Football Federation will put in a request to overturn the midfielder's suspension.\n
