Sevilla offer 'seduced' me: Sampaoli

The 56-year-old resigned as Chile coach in January, just five months after guiding the nation to its first ever Copa America title.  Sampaoli confirmed his return to the coaching scene when he was announced as Sevilla's new boss, after Unai Emery left to join PSG.

Published : Jul 05, 2016 09:17 IST , Seville

Jorge Sampaoli said he had received plenty of offers since resigning from his Chile post but it was the challenge of Sevilla and matching Spanish giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona that really attracted him.
Jorge Sampaoli said he had received plenty of offers since resigning from his Chile post but it was the challenge of Sevilla and matching Spanish giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona that really attracted him.
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Jorge Sampaoli said he had received plenty of offers since resigning from his Chile post but it was the challenge of Sevilla and matching Spanish giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona that really attracted him.

Jorge Sampaoli says the offer to coach Sevilla was the one that "seduced" him most at his official unveiling at the club.

The 56-year-old resigned as Chile coach in January, just five months after guiding the nation to its first ever Copa America title.  

However, after six months out of the job, Sampaoli confirmed his return to the coaching scene when he was announced as Sevilla's new boss, after Unai Emery left to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Sampaoli said he had received plenty of offers since resigning from his Chile post - reportedly among them Chelsea - but it was the challenge of Sevilla and matching Spanish giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona that really attracted him.

''The truth is, among a large number of offers that we received after finishing with Chile, the Sevilla one seduced us the most," Sampaoli said.

"Lots of factor were taken into consideration, things like this side will play in the Champions League, it has to go up against Real Madrid and Barcelona, they have to compete well in this league, plus it fills us with excitement to be in a city that is so united behind this side, all of this has helped us choose this project.

"Our first question was what are the plans for the club and the answer to that also attracted us to being here."

Sampaoli inherits a squad that is fresh off Europa League success, having overcome Liverpool in the final in May, which was the club's third straight triumph in the continental competition.

The Argentinean said he was pleased with the squad at his disposal, but hoped he could help to stabilise it after Emery was forced into three straight rebuilds following the sale of star players.

"Basically the reality is that Sevilla has had to rebuild every season and things have gone well, we hope to have a great squad so that we can make the club bigger still," he said.

"I hope we get the chance to build a really good squad to achieve what we want and do what we think and feel is right about football.

"Fortunately they are players who we value, they are good players, we will try to advise those players on the system that we are going to play and those that play well will have a place in this side.''

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