Oliveira - out of the country. (Allsport)

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Portugal coach Antonio Oliveira has been asked to step down from his post via a fax from the Portuguese Football Association following the country's poor display at the World Cup.

Oliveira looked to have ridden the public storm which greeted the team's return from Japan and Korea after they crashed out of the competition in the group stages following defeats to the USA and South Korea.

Only last Friday the beleaguered coach gave a press conference declaring his intention to see out the remainder of his contract which runs until the 2004 European Championships.

But Portuguese FA president Gilberto Madail announced at a press conference on Tuesday that Oliveira's days were numbered and that they would seek a "friendly recission" of his contract.

"The national team coach Antonio Oliveira has no conditions to continue in the post," said Mandail, who revealed he could not get into contact with Oliveira as he is currently out of the country.

"We will look at it now to see what we can do about it [Oliveira's contract], because there is a signed contract until 2004 and we do not want to break our word. We will deal the conditions of the rescission.

"We were told that Antonio Oliveira is out of the country. We tried to reach him in various ways but it wasn't possible.

"The news was sent to Oliveira by fax and we have asked for a friendly rescission of the contract."

It is unlikely that Oliveira will agree to giving up his job without financial compensation, and he will be due a reported 4 million euros due to the fact he still has two years to run on his deal.

Madail also revealed that he had offered the coaching job to Johan Cruyff, but the Dutchman turned it down.

"We had launch in Barcelona but he told me he wasn't available at the moment," said Madail.

Mandail believes the time could be right to follow in the footsteps of England and appoint a foreign coach.

"Sometimes foreign coaches are needed," he added.

"Personally I prefer Portuguese coaches, I hired Humberto Coelho [who led Portugal to the Euro 2000 semi-final] when everyone had forgotten him, but sometimes I recognise that we need to think in a different way."

"The next coach has to have a strong personality to pick the best players."