Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli ‘wants to compete’ in Premier League

Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli has told The Sun he remains keen on finding a managerial job in England after losing out to Antonio Conte for the Chelsea job last year.

Sampaoli emerged as one of the front-runners to take over at Stamford Bridge in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s sacking last season, and met with owner Roman Abramovich in Miami in January 2016 to discuss his vision and plans for the job.

Weeks later Abramovich confirmed the appointment of Conte, with Sampaoli afterwards stating that his command of English was not good enough to take on the job. However, he has been taking lessons for the past year in the hope of finding another opportunity in the Premier League.

“I hope I get the chance to bring my experience and my ideas to England where some of the best coaches have already brought their own philosophy,” Sampaoli said. “I want to compete with them.

“I am learning the language — but to study outside of England, it takes a bit more time. Being in England it will be a lot easier to learn it in a short time.”

Of his meeting with Abramovich, he added: “It was a football chat, an analysis of all the Chelsea players, those on loan, the ones we wanted to sign to strengthen the following summer. We talked about Chelsea’s academy players, the way of coaching the team.

“It was a very long conversation, very enriching. It was about football and life at Chelsea. [Abramovich] loves the game and wants to learn. It was special that he dedicated so many hours in such a long meeting.

“It gave me the chance to show him I knew Chelsea extensively across many aspects of the club and had particular ideas about their future.”

Conte has enjoyed remarkable success since his appointment, leading Chelsea seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven matches remaining and into the semifinals of the FA Cup, as well as shifting the landscape of the Premier League with his use of a 3-4-3 system.

Sampaoli, meanwhile, took the Sevilla job and has impressed in guiding the team to fourth in La Liga and the Champions League round-of-16. His contract, which includes a £1.5 million exit clause, has one more year to run beyond this season and he has been linked with the Argentina job.

“I am grateful to Sevilla. But La Liga has three teams that are way above the rest. You’re born with the desire to win and in the teams of, say, the second level of La Liga this is extremely difficult,” he said.

“Because of their limited financial power. It’s so tough when you face reality. We have so far had the best season in the history of the club and it’s not enough. “To get to the end still fighting with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico is exhausting.”