Argentina reportedly want Jorge Sampaoli to job-share the national team and Sevilla, though his club say they haven’t been approached.
AS reports the proposal has been floated to Sampaoli, who told the AFA to contact Sevilla, while it’s noted that the recently-appointed Coach has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for La Albiceleste, but only from 2017.
“Nobody from the AFA has been in contact with us to discuss Sampaoli and the national team. We can’t talk about assumptions. It’s difficult to assess if the club is willing to give the Coach to the national team without receiving anything in return,” Sevilla are said to have told AS when asked about the rumour.
Sampaoli has the support of the Argentina players, unlike mooted candidates Miguel Angel Russo and Edgardo Bauza, while a meeting was said to have been held on Monday with Marcelo Bielsa, another choice popular with the squad.
A similar idea was touted regarding Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, with it argued that the Argentina squad divide their time between European clubs and the national team, so the Coach could as well.
Reports in Argentina say the AFA want a new Coach by the middle of this week and La Nacion reports the intention is to get Sampaoli on a job-share now and pay his clause next year.
La Nacion also add Sampaoli, in speaking to the AFA, confirmed he wanted the role and would try to talk Sevilla into agreeing, but the report adds Sevilla aren’t expected to be on board.
Simeone is also said to have turned down the post, while Celta Vigo’s Eduardo Berizzo was contacted and told the AFA to approach Celta first.
If the AFA can’t get any of the Coaches currently employed by clubs, La Nacion says they will turn to Russo or Bauza, or, more likely, Bielsa.
