Those closest to no-nonsense Luiz Felipe Scolari will not be surprised he wanted no part of the media circus that attends every England manager.
His shock announcement he was withdrawing from the race to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson leaves the FA scrambling for a new name capable of handling one of the game's toughest jobs.
Scolari is not a man to dwell too long on what might have been or a pay packet with England that could have swelled his bank account by £3 million (NZ$8.68 million) a year. Shortly after his announcement, he was shown on live television draped in a Portugal scarf and smiling broadly.
The Brazilian's career has been characterised by taking awkward decisions and the 57-year-old has once again opted for a path that leaves English football floundering. Twice in his sparkling career he masterminded big tournament defeats for England - when in charge of World Cup winners Brazil in 2002 and two years later with Euro 2004 finalists Portugal.
At a packed news conference, he said that when choosing between the likely intrusion of his privacy and a country and people he has come to love, he knew what to do.
Scolari, universally known as 'Big Phil', said that during a dinner with the Portuguese Football Federation on Thursday, "I got the impression that I was training a family, that I was training Portugal as if I was training my children. So I got the message loud and clear."
His relationship with the Portuguese public, cemented when he steered the hosts to the Euro 2004 final where they lost 1-0 to Greece, has also blossomed.
- AGENCIES
Soccer: 'Big Phil' laughs last as he turns down England job
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.