Soccer-Scolari to coach China's Guangzhou Evergrande

(Adds quote, byline) By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO, June 4 (Reuters) - Former Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has signed a two-and-a-half year contract to coach Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande, his press advisor told Reuters on Thursday. Scolari, who left Gremio last month after a poor start to the Brazilian league season, turned down offers from clubs in Russia and Turkey to try his luck in the Far East. "He didn't want to keep working in Brazil," Accaz Felleger said. "One of the big teams from Moscow made him an offer but a Chinese club came in and he couldn't turn it down." Scolari replaced Italian Fabio Cannavaro and will be the second top Brazilian coach in the Chinese league alongside Cuca, who manages Shandong Luneng. The 65-year old Scolari will join four other Brazilians at Guangzhou. Midfielder Rene Junior and forwards Alan, Elkeson and Ricardo Goulart play for the club. This will be Scolari's fifth Asian posting having previously worked in Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Uzbekistan and he will hope to put his recent Brazilian reverses behind him. Scolari was Brazil coach when they crashed out in the World Cup semi-finals 7-1 to Germany on home soil last year. (Editing by Ed Osmond)