PORTUGAL defender Fernando Meira insists his team's so-far promising Euro 2008 campaign will not be knocked off track by the announcement that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will join Chelsea after the tournament.
Scolari has guided the Portuguese to top spot in Group A with victories over Turkey and Czech Republic, the latter of which was followed by confirmation of his switch to Stamford Bridge on July 1.
Meira, who has come on as a substitute in each of Portugal's first two pool games, does not believe the Brazilian's decision to leave the post he has occupied since 2003 will hinder the team's bid to go one better than they did at Euro 2004 and become European champions.
"Our squad is upset because we have lost a great trainer," said the 30-year-old Stuttgart player.
"In the last years Scolari has shown that he is a great coach. He has had a lot of success with Portugal.
"One thing is for sure, we will miss him. But I know we can still count on him and we want to make something beautiful here at the European Championships."
Meira is not yet worried about who will succeed the Brazilian 2002 World Cup-winning boss, preferring to focus only on the task in hand, which continues with a final group game against already-eliminated co-hosts Switzerland in Basle on Sunday.
"He is a great coach but for us at the moment it's not a problem (trying to replace him) because we will still have Scolari until the end of the European Championships," said the former Benfica defender.
"For us, at the moment, it is very important that's all the team are able to think only about the football part, only about the European Championships.
"Like I said, until June 30 we will still count on Scolari and we want to make something very nice (as a send-off for him)."
The timing of the announcement that Scolari would move on at the end of the tournament came as a surprise with no decision having been expected until Portugal's interest in Switzerland and Austria had come to an end.
But all the players remain behind Scolari and have not lost any respect for the 59-year-old, according to Meira.
"He won't lose any authority," he said. "He's still the national coach until the end of the tournament.
"No-one is losing respect for Scolari over something like that."
ends
Meira, who has come on as a substitute in each of Portugal's first two pool games, does not believe the Brazilian's decision to leave the post he has occupied since 2003 will hinder the team's bid to go one better than they did at Euro 2004 and become European champions.
"Our squad is upset because we have lost a great trainer," said the 30-year-old Stuttgart player.
"In the last years Scolari has shown that he is a great coach. He has had a lot of success with Portugal.
"One thing is for sure, we will miss him. But I know we can still count on him and we want to make something beautiful here at the European Championships."
Meira is not yet worried about who will succeed the Brazilian 2002 World Cup-winning boss, preferring to focus only on the task in hand, which continues with a final group game against already-eliminated co-hosts Switzerland in Basle on Sunday.
"He is a great coach but for us at the moment it's not a problem (trying to replace him) because we will still have Scolari until the end of the European Championships," said the former Benfica defender.
"For us, at the moment, it is very important that's all the team are able to think only about the football part, only about the European Championships.
"Like I said, until June 30 we will still count on Scolari and we want to make something very nice (as a send-off for him)."
The timing of the announcement that Scolari would move on at the end of the tournament came as a surprise with no decision having been expected until Portugal's interest in Switzerland and Austria had come to an end.
But all the players remain behind Scolari and have not lost any respect for the 59-year-old, according to Meira.
"He won't lose any authority," he said. "He's still the national coach until the end of the tournament.
"No-one is losing respect for Scolari over something like that."
ends
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