Brazil coach Scolari delays decision over future

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has delayed a decision over whether he will continue in the job for the second time this week, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Thursday.

Scolari, who had been due to announce his decision Thursday afternoon, will instead wait until Friday, the CBF said in a statement. He had originally been expected to make his decision known on Monday.

Scolari, who defied all the odds by leading Brazil to their fifth world title, has been tight-lipped on the subject since the World Cup final on June 30, when his agreement to coach Brazil officially ended.

The man known as 'Big Phil', who has enjoyed celebrity status since the 2-0 win over Germany in Yokohama, is reportedly caught between his family, who want him to step down, and CBF president Ricardo Teixeira, who wants him to continue.

Thursday's media conference is believed to have been postponed because Teixeira had other commitments.

Scolari, who took over the Brazil team in June last year after previously coaching Cruzeiro, angrily denied on Thursday that the issue was about money.

"When I joined the Brazil team, I was earning less than I was at Cruzeiro," he said. "The people who invented this story have no brains."