After the 4-1 defeat a week ago, FC Seville in the Champions League show a different face in the second leg” at Borussia Dortmund. The reason: Jorge Sampaoli.
The appearance of the new coach alone suggests that Borussia Dortmund will be dealing with a different FC Sevilla in the Champions League than it was a week ago. The team from Andalusia was still being looked after by Julen Lopetegui. He always came across as very friendly and sometimes even shy on the sidelines.
His successor Jorge Sampaoli is 18 centimeters shorter, but powerfully muscled, likes to show off his numerous tattoos and looks more like the leader of a motorcycle gang. And sometimes the 62-year-old Argentinian behaves like that on the sidelines.
Return to Andalusia
Lopetegui was released shortly after the 1:4 against BVB, Sampaoli was already there as his successor. His fate was thrown out Coach but rather the poor performance in the Spanish league. Since the FC Sevilla was surprisingly only ranked 17th.
Sampaoli wants to change that. He’s no stranger to Sevilla FC, it’s his second term. He had already coached the club in the 2016/17 season, leading them to the round of 16 in the Champions League and fourth place in the league.
Copa win with Chile
Then home called. Sampaoli became Argentina national coach. The association paid 1.5 million euros to buy him out of the current contract with Sevilla FC. He had previously made a name for himself in Chile. Under him, the national team won the 2015 for the first time Copa America.
After the early exit in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Sampaoli had to “Albiceleste” but left again. He coached FC in Brazil santos and Atlético Mineiro and then ended up with the French first division club Olympique Marseille. After fifth place in the League 1 and qualifying for the Champions League he demanded more money for new players. He didn’t get it – and left.
Cunning tactician
So now FC Sevilla again. In the league he scored in his first game at home Sanchez Pizjuan at least a 1:1 against the third in the table Athletic Bilbao.
Sampaoli is considered a cunning tactician. He is known for constantly adapting his system flexibly to the opponent and for precisely adjusting his protégés to each opponent.
His teams play very variably. He happily switches back and forth between different game systems and reportedly spends entire nights studying the next opponent. This has also earned him a reputation for being a football obsessive.
instructions from the tree
This also fits an anecdote from his early days as a coach. After being sent off in a game for the amateur team he oversaw, he simply continued coaching the team from off the field by climbing a tree. A photo of this action ended up in the local newspaper. the Newell’s Old Boys found this so remarkable that they made him coach of the reserve team.
He describes himself as modest, as a meticulous worker and at the same time as a passionate person. “Wherever I work, I want to revolutionize something. I try to break down the old structures and give new impetus.”he once said.
Bold offensive style and high pace
Borussia Dortmund can expect a courageous offensive style and high speed. Sevilla will perform very differently under Sampaoli than they did under Lopetegui.
At least in theory. It remains to be seen to what extent the new coach can change his team in just one week. “We don’t know what Sevilla are up to. Something will happen with the change of coach.”, but warned Dortmund’s sports director Sebastian Kehl. And coach Edin Terzic also knows: “Some things will change.”