Portugal drops tax fraud probe against Scolari

Portuguese authorities have closed a tax fraud probe into former Brazil and Portgual football coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after he paid three million euros ($3.4 million), officials said. Scolari was charged with tax fraud a month before the 2014 World Cup kicked off in his native Brazil while he was coach of the national team. The closure of the investigation was posted on Portugal's public ministry website. The charges related to between 2003 and 2007 when Scolari was Portugal's coach and hinged on an alleged failure to declare income from image rights. According to press reports, the amount of non-declared funds was 7.4 million euros. Scolari coached Brazil to their World Cup triumph in 2002 and returned to the national side for the campaign on home territory which they were favourites to win. But he resigned as national coach after Brazil suffered a humiliating 7-1 humbling by Germany in the World Cup semi-finals. He also took Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and 2006 World Cup semi-finals. He is now manager of Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande with whom he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in June.