It will be a brave person who raises the subject at Stamford Bridge this morning, but it seems curious that the dozen or so individuals linked with the Chelsea manager’s job did not include Joachim Löw. The Germany coach did not feature on the various lists that were compiled in the search for Avram Grant’s successor, yet he inflicted this stunning defeat on Luiz Felipe Scolari, whom Chelsea have just recruited as the highest-paid club manager in the world. Roman Abramovich is not the type to succumb to embarrassment, but, as he watched the exit of one of his adopted sides, the Russian may have wondered: who is this Iggy Pop lookalike?

Löw may lack the clout to make an impression on a complex club such as Chelsea — his highest-profile jobs had been at VfB Stuttgart and Fenerbahçe before he was appointed as assistant to Jürgen Klinsmann with the national team four years ago — but offers should come flooding his way after this stunning confirmation of his capabilities. Löw has helped to steer Germany to the semi-finals of the World Cup, playing a more influential role than Klinsmann in the areas of coaching and tactics, according to some, and now, single-handedly, he has taken them to the last four of the European Championship, which, given the absence of fervent home support, is more of an achievement.

Chelsea should not be castigated for overlooking Löw because in two attempts to capture Klinsmann, the Bayern Munich coach did not champion his former assistant’s cause. At the very least, he deserves a pay rise. The German football federation pay the 48-year-old £1.6 million-a-year, almost £4 million less than what Scolari will earn at Chelsea. This does not suggest that Löw is a superior coach to Scolari, only to demonstrate that in this celebrity-obsessed era, reputation and remuneration do not always coincide with achievement.

Löw was not on the touchline after his suspension for the sending-off against Austria, but Germany’s performance bore his fingerprints with a radical change in tactics. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, the German paid Scolari the ultimate tribute, abandoning his favoured 4-4-2 formation to match Portugal’s 4-2-3-1 system, with Thomas Hitzlsperger and Simon Rolfes assigned to mark Deco.

More importantly, Michael Ballack was given a free role that he used to considerable effect, playing a one-two with Lukas Podolski that led to Bastian Schweinsteiger’s opening goal and scoring the third with a header. The Chelsea midfield player was outstanding throughout, strolling across the pitch as if he owned it.

It is too early to dismiss Scolari’s credentials just yet, although the manner of Portugal’s elimination has been unfortunate for Chelsea to say the least — since his appointment last week the Brazilian’s record is two successive defeats. Peter Kenyon, the club’s chief executive, may want to check whether he has signed his contract.