Luiz Felipe Scolari is officially back at the helm in Brazil…

The Brazilian Soccer Confederation has announced that the 64-year-old World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager, known as Felipão in Brazil, will return as coach of the national team as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup tournament in the South American nation.

Scolari was leading the team in 2002 when Brazil won the most recent of its record five World Cups.

CBF President Jose Maria Marin presented Scolari to the media during a press conference on Thursday where Carlos Alberto Parreira – who coached Brazil to victory in the 1994 World Cup – was named as national team coordinator.

“After a deep analysis, thinking of what would be best for Brazilian soccer,” said Marin, “we decided to turn over the destiny of the team with toward the country’s soccer objective, the World Cup, to competent hands, with recognized capability, experience already proven with titles won.”

In response, Scolari vowed to make his team the tournament favorites.
“We have the obligation to win the title,” said Scolari. “We’re not the favorites now, but we intend to be by the time the World Cup arrives and we will work for that.”

The first practices under the new coaching staff are set for January, to prepare for a friendly match in London against England.

Mano Menezes was fired last Friday as coach of the national team after 27 months in the post.

Though the team won 21 of its 33 matches under Menezes, none of the victories was against a top-flight opponent. His tenure also included a loss to Mexico in the finals of the 2012 Summer Olympics and a quarterfinal exit in last year’s Copa America competition.