What’s the story?
FC Barcelona are lining up a move for Jorge Sampaoli to replace Luis Enrique according to the Daily Telegraph. The Blaugrana manager has been under pressure this season as his side have fallen far behind Real Madrid in the title race and are on the verge of being knocked out of the Champions League.
Sampaoli has been doing an excellent job at Sevilla this season and has taken them up to 3rd in the La Liga table. The former Chile manager was suggested to Barcelona by Lionel Messi in 2013, but the board appointed Tata Martino instead.
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The Catalan giants are a point behind Los Blancos right now, but the Madrid side have played two games less than their rivals. Real can go seven points clear of Barça if they win their games in hand and that would make it impossible for Barcelone to catch up.
Barcelona were thrashed 4-0 in their first leg of the Champions League by Paris Saint-German in France. They face a tough task of overturning the four-goal deficit - something that has never been achieved in the Champions League era.
Sampaoli has previously confirmed that he would love to manage a team that has Messi in it and was linked with the Barcelona job recently. He was close to joining Chelsea last summer, but Sevilla made a late swoop and appointed him on a 2-year contract.
The heart of the matter
Enrique has reportedly lost the faith of the dressing room at Barcelona, and the board are looking to replace him in the summer. The manager's tactics have not clicked this season and that combined with their tough luck, have made it a forgettable season so far for the La Liga giants.
The majority of the fans have also turned against the manager as the overall team performance has deteriorated very badly this season. They have managed to scrape wins solely due to individual magic from the likes of Messi and Suarez rather than a collective effort.
What’s next?
Sampaoli would jump at the chance to manage Barcelona, but Sevilla would try their best to keep hold of the manager who has helped them climb the table and put in a bigger challenge in the league. Messi's influence at Barcelona is at an all-time high and with the Barcelona star preferring the Argentine football manager, the board would do all it can to get him.
Enrique is all but certain to leave Barcelona at the end of the season and with an experienced manager like Sampaoli plying his trade well in the La Liga, the Catalan club would definitely make a move for him.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Sampaoli is a brilliant manager and would be a perfect fit at Barcelona. With the kind of football the Argentine has played with his team at Chile and Sevilla; one can only imagine how destructive his Barcelona would be.
If he does get the job, there will be no stopping the Catalans from ruling European football again.
