Argentina confirm Sampaoli as top choice for coaching post
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli is the Argentine FA's choice to take charge of the national team for the remaining qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, AFA president Claudio Tapia said on Thursday.
"Sampaoli is the chosen one," Tapia, who sacked coach Edgardo Bauza after his election to the AFA chair last month, told ESPN.
Tapia said the AFA would negotiate with Sevilla for Argentine Sampaoli's release from his contract once the league season in Spain concluded next month. The former Chile manager would be a popular choice as many of the top Argentine players including Lionel Messi are said to be huge fans of Sampaoli’s management skills with Messi even calling him ‘one of his favourite managers’.
With four qualifying matches to go, Argentina are in fifth place in the South American group, which would put them in an intercontinental playoff for a berth in the finals, while the top four qualify automatically.
(Reporting by Rex Gowar, editing by Nick Mulvenney)