Jorge Sampaoli: Argentina 'mutually agree' to terminate manager's contract
- Published
Argentina's 3-0 defeat by Croatia was their heaviest defeat in the group stage of a World Cup since losing 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958
Argentina and manager Jorge Sampaoli have "mutually agreed" to terminate his contract in the wake of the team's disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign.
The 2014 runners-up went out of the tournament courtesy of a 4-3 defeat by France at the last-16 stage.
Sampaoli, 58, took charge of his home country in May 2017 and the team scraped through qualifying.
Physical trainer Jorge Desio and video analyst Matias Manna have also left with Sampaoli.
The Argentina Football Association said:, external "Today, the Argentine Football Association and the former national team coach, Jorge Sampaoli, have mutually agreed to the termination of their contract."
The team only progressed from the group stages in Russia with an 86th-minute winner from Marcos Rojo against Nigeria.
That came after Argentina drew their first game 1-1 with Iceland before a 3-0 defeat by eventual group winners Croatia.
The former Sevilla and Chile boss "begged" for the fans' forgiveness after the Croatia defeat and took responsibility.
Former Argentina manager and player Diego Maradona, a World Cup winner in 1986, had earlier warned Sampaoli "can't come back to Argentina" after the Iceland game.
The loss to Croatia - which started with a dreadful error from goalkeeper Willy Caballero - was Argentina's heaviest defeat in the group stage of a World Cup since losing 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958.
It was also the first time the two-time World Cup winners had failed to win either of their opening two group stage matches since 1974.