Sevilla set to sack Jorge Sampaoli

Surprise La Liga relegation candidates Sevilla are reportedly on the brink of relieving underperforming manager Jorge Sampaoli of his duties.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Los Rojiblancos will sack the Argentine tactician in the next few hours, with former Deportivo Alaves coach Jose Luis Mendilibar emerging as a top candidate to fill the vacancy.

Sampaoli returned to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in October to replace Julen Lopetegui, who exited La Liga to take charge of Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The 63-year-old re-signed for Sevilla amid the team’s below-par league start with the sole purpose of helping them bounce back and steer outside the drop zone.

However, Sampaoli’s mission hasn’t panned out as expected, with the Andalusian powerhouse heading into March’s international break only two points clear of 18th-placed Valencia.

Sunday’s dismal 2-0 loss at fellow relegation rivals Getafe seems to have been the final straw to break the camel’s back as the club has decided to sever ties with the ex-Marseille boss.

Los Rojiblancos have suffered three defeats in their last four league outings, with the exception of a hard-earned 2-1 home win over promoted Almeria a fortnight ago.

A thoroughly disappointing La Liga campaign has overshadowed another decent European run that has seen Sevilla progress into the Europa League quarter-finals following a Champions League group-stage exit.

Despite helping his side set up a blockbuster quarter-final tie against Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, Sampaoli has fallen out of favour with fans and players.

Mendilibar, who’s been jobless since parting with Alaves in 2021, leads the race to fill the Argentine’s shoes at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with former Valencia coach Jose Bordalas also in contention.

But Sevilla are reportedly more inclined to hand the job to the more experienced Mendilibar due to his eye-catching exploits that had helped Eibar preserve a top-flight status during his six-season tenure.