Sampaoli only candidate for Argentina coaching job

Jorge Sampaoli is the sole candidate to take over as coach of Argentina's national team, according to Argentine Football Association (AFA) chief Claudio Tapia.

The position was made vacant by the dismissal of Edgardo Bauza earlier this month after a poor run of results.

Sampaoli, who guided Chile to victory at the 2015 Copa America, was appointed Sevilla boss in June. But the Spanish club is understood to be willing to part with the Argentina-born 57-year-old if the AFA pays his 1.5 million-euro release clause.

"He is the chosen coach," Tapia told ESPN Argentina. "We have to wait for the contractual terms to discuss things with Sevilla.

"We have chosen a coach that has a contract. We want to be respectful and wait because he has a release clause which is once the tournament ends.

"We will communicate it to the club and we will sit down and negotiate his departure and release clause. We want things to go well in the final games he has left [Malaga, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and Osasuna]."

Argentina are currently fifth in the 10-team South America zone World Cup qualifying standings with four games remaining.

Only the top four teams at the end of the qualifying tournament will earn an automatic slot in Russia. The fifth-ranked side will advance to a playoff against the top nation from Oceania. Endit