Moscow (AFP)
He has scoured Latin America, from Peru to Brazil via Chile, Ecuador or his native Argentina, but Jorge Sampaoli is still at 61 years old discovering Europe and its competitions, where his experience is limit to one Champions League season in Seville before attacking the Europa League on Thursday in Moscow with OM.
Ten months in Seville, six in Marseille, this is Sampaoli's European life.
And as he himself admits, the intensity put to work prevents him from fully immersing himself in the local reality.
"I had little time to get to know the city well and I would like to be able to talk a little with people," he explained to the press last week.
"I feel that people want to win, victories, to relive things from the past. OM is a club with superb supporters, like those I am used to in South America. The people of Marseille deserves that OM be much more competitive. We will try, "he added.
As soon as he arrived in March, the former Argentina coach made this speech.
Even if the sporting situation encouraged him to be cautious, his idea of the place of OM was beyond doubt: "The history of this club forces it to play a European Cup," he said. said several times.
- "to shine" -
After the traumatic Champions League last season (three points in six matches), the Provencal club tackles Thursday on the lawn of Lokomotiv Moscow in the Europa League, where it has experienced recent happiness (final in 2018) and which seems more in line with its current potential.
"For me, the Europa League is very important," he assured Wednesday in Moscow at a press conference.
"It allows us to face different teams and to promote the club. We must have the same level of commitment as in L1, give the best and take advantage of Europe to continue to progress," he said added.
But the Marseille group is difficult, with Lazio Rome and Galatasaray in addition to the Russian club, and confrontations with renowned technicians like Fatih Terim or Maurizio Sarri, who have both already won the C3 (Terim in 2000 with Galatasaray and Sarri in 2019 with Chelsea).
Sampaoli, on the other hand, has therefore only played in one European competition, the 2016-2017 Champions League with Sevilla, another club with a European tradition.
Sampaoli had indeed arrived in Andalusia after Unai Emery's incredible C3 hat-trick.
Reward of a successful first half of the season, the Argentinian then managed to bring the Spanish club to the round of 16, after taking 2nd place in a pool dominated by Juventus and who had left Lyon on the floor. and Dinamo Zagreb.
Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, then Sevilla FC coach, in the 2016/2017 Champions League Round of 16 second leg between Leicester and Sevilla on March 14, 2017 at King Power Stadium Oli SCARFF AFP / Archives
- like a volcano -
But Sevilla had not managed to go further, despite an accessible round of 16 against Leicester, beaten 2-1 in the first leg but victorious 2-0 in the return leg in England.
This elimination had in a way marked the beginning of the end of the Sevillian history of Sampaoli, with a more complicated end of the season then a return to Argentina to take in hand the Albiceleste, badly lived by the supporters.
This Champions League season had already highlighted the explosive character of the Argentine technician, sent off twice, against Juve and the return match against Leicester.
The volcano did not go out and last Saturday in Monaco, Sampaoli, verbally warned shortly before, took a yellow card in the 15th minute.
A few days earlier, Monaco coach Niko Kovac had painted a quick portrait of his upcoming opponent.
"I followed his career when he coached Chile and Argentina, then Europe. I would say he's a classic Latin American coach. He's a very positive boy, with a lot of character, very emotional, "said the Croatian.
In Moscow, Sampaoli will try to start becoming a European coach as well.
© 2021 AFP