Sevilla fires Sampaoli after team's poor Spanish league run
Sevilla's head coach Jorge Sampaoli arrives for the Europa League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Fenerbahce and Sevilla at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Credit: AP/AP Photo
MADRID — Jorge Sampaoli's second stint as Sevilla coach is over.
Sevilla fired the Argentine coach on Tuesday, two days after a 2-0 loss at relegation-threatened Getafe in the Spanish league.
“Following the defeat at Getafe, which leaves the side just above the relegation zone, the club has decided to part ways with the Argentine coach ahead of the international break,” Sevilla said in a statement. “The image shown by the team in these last matches has led the club to make this decision, in hopes that it can recover in the last 12 rounds of the Spanish league.”
Sampaoli coached Sevilla from 2016-17 before leaving to join Argentina's national team ahead of the 2018 World Cup. He impressed during his initial stint with Sevilla to gain his chance with the national team, but Argentina mostly struggled under Sampaoli, who was fired after the team's round-of-16 elimination against France in Russia.
Sampaoli leaves with Sevilla in 14th place in the Spanish league, two points from the relegation zone. The traditional club from southern Spain has won one of its last five league games, with three losses and a draw. It has seven wins, seven draws and 12 losses in the competition.
Sevilla was eliminated by Osasuna in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, and will face Manchester United in the last eight in the Europa League next month.
The 63-year-old Sampaoli was in charge of Sevilla in a total of 31 matches since taking over from Julen Lopetegui last year, with 13 wins, six draws and 12 losses.
Sevilla's head coach Jorge Sampaoli gestures during the Europa League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Fenerbahce and Sevilla at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Credit: AP/AP Photo
Sevilla was last relegated to the second division in 2000, returning the following season and staying in the top flight since then.
Sevilla did not immediately announce a replacement for Sampaoli. It said it was “already working on recruiting a new coach as soon as possible.”
Sampaoli previously also coached Chile’s national team and most recently French club Marseille and Brazilian teams Santos and Atletico Mineiro.
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Sevilla's head coach Jorge Sampaoli gestures during the Europa League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Fenerbahce and Sevilla at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Credit: AP/AP Photo
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