Road to Ligue 1: Who is new Rennes boss Jorge Sampaoli?
One To Watch
As Jorge Sampaoli takes the reigns at Rennes, we trace the Argentine's 33 years of coaching experience and his previous tenure in Ligue 1 McDonalds.
Rennes and Ligue 1 will discover a new manager this season in Jorge Sampaoli as the Breton club return from the international break to face Lille next weekend. The Argentine manager may be the first non-French manager at Rennes for the last 18 years, but he is no stranger to the French top flight following his spell with Olympique de Marseille in the 2021-2022 season. But how did Jorge Sampoali get here?
A brief playing career and early exploits
Sampaoli was born in Casilda in Argentina, but would represent Newell's Old Boys at youth level before playing for the side in his hometown, Alumni de Casilda. Following a severe injury, the former defensive midfielder would eventually switch to coaching very early at the age of 31.
He managed his hometown side and a few minor teams in Argentina before moving over to Peru where he impressed with Colonol Bolognesi before brief but successful tenures at O'Higgins in Chile and Emelec of Ecuador. His first big break in management came when he was head coach of Universidad de Chile, where he won three league titles and the Copa Sudamericana championship.
From the Chilean national team to Sevilla: a true globetrotter
Sampaoli's success with Universidad led him to the position of head coach of the Chilean national team. This is where he truly became known to the rest of the world, leading Chile to their first-ever Copa América title after defeating his native Argentina in the final of the 2015 tournament. His attacking playing style was starting to become known and compared to that of Marcelo Bielsa.
Sampaoli then signed a two-year contract with La Liga side Sevilla to return to club football. He spent only one year in Spain, but he managed to secure Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish. Following a spell with the Argentinian national team, Santos and Atlético Mineiro, Sampaoli would land in Ligue 1 with a heavy amount of experience under his belt.
Landing in Marseille and Ligue 1
Following the sacking of André Vilas-Boas, Jorge Sampaoli joined Marseille in a troubled season for Les Olympiens. “La Commanderie burned down, a coach gone, and eleventh in the league,” explained Sampaoli in a recent interview with L'Équipe. "We took the next step, we qualified for the Europa league.”
Following the 2021-2022 season, Sampaoli's side progressed as OM then finished second in Ligue 1 to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain, qualifying for the Champions League in the process. After dropping into the Conference League, OM would reach the semi-final stage, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Dutch side Feyenoord.
Following his spell at Marseille, Sampaoli returned to Sevilla before managing Flamengo. He left the Brazilian club in September 2023 and was a free agent until signing an 18-month deal with Rennes during the international break. The Breton club will be his 27th managerial tenure in 33 years-worth of experience: not a bad resumé to re-join the league of talents.
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