Sampaoli, an agitator against the enormous crisis of Sevilla

“Soccer players are human beings.

Automatisms are for machines.

Players must like to play ball.

I don't see that in today's players, who look like workers, workers.

They lost the essence of the love for the game.”

These are the words of Jorge Sampaoli, Sevilla's new coach, to ex-soccer player Samir Nasry in a report by Canal Plus France on his last stay as coach of Marseille, the last job of this peculiar coach.

At 62 years old, the Argentine coach will experience his second stage at Sevilla after leading the Andalusian team in the 2016-17 academic year.

He has a complicated task before him, since it is about revitalizing a patient who is experiencing the worst sports crisis of this century after an era of success.

Sevilla is one point away from relegation in LaLiga (a single win in seven games) and is third-placed in its group in the Champions League, five points behind second-placed Dortmund.

The coach will make his debut this Saturday in the LaLiga match against Athletic (6:30 p.m., Dazn).

“He is the agitator that this team needs”, affirm qualified sources from Sevilla.

Sampaoli, whose motto is "I don't listen and I continue", has signed for a year and a half and has asked Monchi, sports director, for up to four signings in the winter market.

He also made it clear that he would not manage the team in the clash against Dortmund, forcing the club to keep Lopetegui until the European duel when the Basque coach was sentenced.

The Argentine arrives with his entire work team, with Jorge Desio as second and Pablo Fernández as physical trainer.

Sampaoli is aware of the limitations of the squad after having studied it carefully.

Monchi's planning has not been adequate, as he did not bring the necessary reinforcements in a veteran group and he lost his two references in defense, Diego Carlos and Koundé.

Sampaoli trusts Monchi despite his disapproval this summer.

In fact, it was Monchi who opened the possibility for him to train in Spain.

A risky bet at the time that did not go all wrong in 2016.

Sampaoli's character and genius quickly combined with the Sevilla fans, who now mostly celebrate his return.

Also because he won a lot and inherited a champion team with many automatisms organized by Unai Emery.

In the second part of that 2016-17 season, some Sevilla fans do not forgive him, however, for negotiating with the AFA as coach of Sevilla.

Soccer stuff.

Now, the Argentine has negotiated with Sevilla with Julen Lopetegui on the bench.

The Basque, dismissed with honors, has lived a torment in recent weeks.

The club's leadership did not believe in him and only Monchi supported him.

The decision to dismiss the coach has opened a small fracture between the sports director, untouchable for the fans, and the president of the club, José Castro, and his collaborators.

No one knows for sure how a squad like Sevilla's can react to the emotional stress it will be subjected to by a coach like Sampaoli.

In his time, the distinction he made in the locker room by protecting some players like Nasri too much ended up causing the division of the locker room.

Sevilla today is very different from 2016. But there is a factor that can be decisive in the team's performance: the presence of Argentine players that Sampaoli must plug in from the first moment.

Then, they played for Sevilla Pareja, Mercado, Mudo Vázquez, Correa, Kranevitter and Vietto.

Now, the coach will have to connect Montiel, Acuña, Lamela and Papu Gómez from the first moment, all of them in poor shape.

Sampaoli, who likes his teams to press intensely across the pitch, will find himself with a squad full of attacking midfielders who play on the foot, very veteran players and a lack of forcefulness in defense.

His last stage at Marseille reflects very well the character of a coach who always felt attached to the people and who was his father at 60 years old.

In fact, in Seville, he sometimes used the subway to return home after some team games.

Sampaoli arrived at Marseille after his time in Brazil (Santos and Atlético Mineiro) and classified him in fifth position.

In the 2021-22 season, he finished second, reaching the Conference League semi-finals, falling to Feyenoord.

With an unbeatable position in Marseille,

The coach left the French team in July due to differences with the board regarding the planning of the transfers.

He left behind a good stage of 14 months of work.

In the first stage at Sevilla, Sampaoli achieved fourth place and qualification for the Champions League after a spectacular first round and a second in which his performance dropped.

Moments in which Sampaoli began negotiations with the AFA to end up being Argentine national coach.

The elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League, against Leicester, also undermined his credit.

He managed Messi in the 2018 World Cup, falling in the round of 16 as baggage.

Sampaoli has directed elite teams such as Sporting Cristal, O'Higgins, Emelec, Universidad de Chile, Sevilla, Santos, Atlético Mineiro and Marsella in his career.

In addition, he has been the national coach of Chile and Argentina.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on