Officials would not say what it is about. In Portugal, ongoing probes fall under the country’s judicial secrecy law.
The Portuguese attorney general’s office said that the Department for Criminal Investigation and Prosecution had opened an inquiry into Scolari, but it provided no further details.
Unconfirmed reports in Brazil and the Netherlands say Scolari is suspected of failing to declare millions of dollars in income, but he has denied any wrongdoing.
“I have correctly filed all my tax returns. In all the countries where I’ve worked, I’ve always declared my income,” Scolari said in Sao Paulo. “If anything is wrong, it’s not my fault. I hope justice gets to the bottom of the facts.”
Officials at the Portuguese Football Federation, which employed Scolari as national team coach from 2003-08, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
If the Portuguese authorities decide to file charges based on what they find, Scolari would have to answer in a Portuguese court.
Tax evasion concerning large amounts of money carries a prison sentence of up to eight years in Portugal, though courts commonly prefer imposing heavy fines.
Scolari, who is Brazilian, led his country’s national team to the World Cup title in 2002. He will again coach the Brazilian team at this year’s World Cup.
Scolari was Portugal’s most successful coach. He guided the Portuguese to the final of the 2004 European Championship and to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup. Along the way, he gave Cristiano Ronaldo his national team debut and made him captain.
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