The Colombian national team is still in search of its manager months after José Pekerman revealed that he would be stepping down from the role.
Current Palmeiras boss and former Brazil head man Luiz Felipe Scolari confirmed with ESPN Brazil that he had been contacted by the Colombian Football Federation over the possibility of heading the national team.
“There has been an approach, yes [by Colombia],” he told ESPN Brasil. “It is a role which, now that the season is over, we can think about more clearly.
“Over the past 20, 25 years, I have spent 80 percent of my time outside Brazil. So I need to think about certain family aspects.”
Scolari is coming off a title-winning campaign with Palmeiras in Brazil’s first division.
However, the 70-year-old manager has recently been most remembered for the 2014 World Cup where tournament favorite Brazil was humiliated at home by Germany 7-1 in the semifinals. Scolari did guide Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002.
Other notable stints for the experienced manager include a five-year tenure atop the Portugal national team and a short stay with English club Chelsea.
Colombia has been under the guidance of Arturo Reyes, the head coach of Colombia’s Under-20 team. Reyes helped Colombia to a 3-1-0 record in four friendlies against competition like Argentina and Costa Rica.
Whoever the next head coach is, he won’t have any problem fielding talent for the coming years as Los Cafeteros still have quality years left in star James Rodríguez, creator Juan Fernando Quintero, and young defenders like Yerry Mina and Davinson Sánchez. Another name to watch will be 19-year-old Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernández, who scored two goals against Costa Rica in his first-ever appearance with the senior team.
