Argentina sack coach Sampaoli

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced the sacking of Jorge Sampaoli after a disappointing outing at the World Cup.

A 3-0 group stage defeat to Croatia following a 1-1 draw with Iceland left Argentina on the brink of a humiliating exit in Russia, before just about squeezing through to the knockout phase thanks to a 2-1 triumph over Nigeria.

That luck failed in the last 16 against France, however, when they were beaten 4-3 by the eventual tournament winners.

Sampaoli got the Argentina job after building a solid reputation in charge of Universidad de Chile, Chile and Sevilla, leaving the Spanish club at the end of the 2016-17 season after guiding them to Champions League football.

But very little has gone well for Sampaoli and Argentina since he took over in May 2017, with the coach’s continuous tactical tweaks and strange selection choices baffling many.