Sampaoli, new coach
Brazilian reigning Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo announced on Friday the hiring of Argentine Jorge Sampaoli as their new head coach.
Five months in Seville
Sampaoli, 63, had been sacked from Sevilla at the end of March, five months after taking over from Julen Lopetegui.
Two points from relegation
The Argentine was sacked after the defeat against Getafe, which left Sevilla just two points above the relegation zone.
He had already coached Sevilla
Sampaoli had already managed Sevilla in the 2016-17 season and in this last stage he led 31 games -19 LaLiga Santander, five Copa del Rey and seven Europa League matches-, with a balance of 13 wins, six draws and 12 defeats.
At Flamengo until the end of 2024
Flamengo «communicates that it has signed an agreement with coach Jorge Sampaoli to lead the professional soccer team until December 31, 2024,» states the brief note released by the reigning Copa do Brasil champions on their social networks.
Arrival in Río de Janeiro
Jorge Sampaoli is expected to arrive in Rio de Janeiro this weekend once everything pending with the Sevillian club is resolved.
Followers in Brazil
The Argentine coach has a strong following in Brazil after his two stints in charge of Brazilian teams: Santos (2019) and Atlético Mineiro (2020).
National coach
Sampaoli has also coached the national teams of Chile and Argentina. And, in Europe, in addition to Sevilla, he also coached Olympique Marseille.
Replaces Victor Pereira
The Brazilian club sacked Portuguese coach Victor Pereira on Tuesday, after Flamengo was eliminated from three of the competitions without winning a single one of the four titles it had contested since his arrival in January: the Brazilian Super Cup, the Club World Cup, the South American Cup Winners’ Cup and the Rio state championship.
Pereira joined Flamengo in December
Pereira, a former Porto and Fenerbahçe coach, arrived at Flamengo last December after the dismissal of Dorival Júnior, who had led the team to the Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores titles the previous season.
