Sampaoli unveiled as new coach of Argentina football team

Jorge Sampaoli was unveiled as the new coach of the Argentine football team, and said "it is a dream that I sought after for a long time".

At a press conference at the Argentinean Football Association (AFA) building in Buenos Aires on Thursday, Sampaoli said he had "100 players under observation", reports Xinhua news agency.

Until Wednesday, Sampaoli had been the coach of Sevilla club in Spain, with the team finishing fourth in La Liga last season. He was also the coach of the Chilean national team from 2012-2016, leading it to the 2014 World Cup and to victory in the 2015 Copa America.

Rumours had swirled that Sampaoli would be taking the job after Edgardo Bauza was fired in April with less than a year in the role.

AFA President Claudio Tapia also presented Jorge Burruchaga, who won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, as the national team's new manager.

Sampaoli will first take control of two-time World Cup winners Argentina's reins on June 9, when they face rivals Brazil in a friendly in Australia. The first competitive match for the new management will take place in August in a World Cup qualifying game in Uruguay.

--IANS

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