Bunny Odd Core Is the Best Name for a Music Genre That Doesn't Exist

Bunny Odd Core—okay technically Bunyodkor—is not the hippest shit out of Brooklyn but is actually a football club. And it's the the new management home of...

Wait for it... Wait for it...


Phil Scolari.

World Cup Winner. Former Chelsea Manager. Uzbekistan resident.

Gene Hackman has caught on with the Uzbek club Bunyodkor, and he seems okay with it. Check out these quasi-cryptic quotes:

"(I like) the way the club is taking on a new football reality in Uzbekistan. It offers me a project which is similar to ones in which I have already worked and which were very fulfilling for me....

"I made a choice because of a number of details, which are difficult to explain in an interview, but it's basically because of the project which I was offered."

On the one hand, man that seems like a long way to fall. On the other hand, there's money.

We think. Scolari doesn't outright say it and nothing in the Guardian piece attaches any actual monetary figures to the 18-month deal but a couple of details lead to the possibility that someone opened up a large wallet.

First, it's Uzbekistan. Second, Bunyodkor didn't even exist five years ago. It was started less than four years ago as an amateur team and has gained promotion every year until it reached the Uzbek top flight in 2007.

In its first season in the Uzbek Professional Football League Bunyodkor finished second. Last season they finished first, breaking a seven year stranglehold on the title by FX Paxtakor, and doubled down by winning the league cup as well. They also made it to the Asian Champions League semis.

Third this is the club that last year made international football headlines when it said it was on the verge of signing Samuel Eto'o away from Barcelona. And within days was also reportedly visited by both Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas. It kind of seemed utterly ridiculous until the club successfully signed Brazilian Rivaldo away from AEK Athens on a $14 million two-year contract.

Fourth, they are building a $150M 35,000 seat stadium in Tashkent to be completed next March.

So either A) the Uzbek League is easier than the Island of Lesbos U-13 division, or B) someone has been pouring money into the club to make it a competitor on a larger stage than the Aral Sea coast.

Probably C) both.

But this is the same club that lured Zico to its doors to manage (Scolari succeeds him), still has Rivaldo on its roster and he is joined by fellow joga bonit'ers Luizão, Edson Ramos, and Joao Victor (there are only 2 other non-Uzbeks on the 30 man roster). So while this seems like a long fall from Stamford Bridge for Big Phil there is a short history of a Brazilian connection for the club with almost no history.

Still, money. That's really gotta be the reason.