Argentina have sacked Edgardo Bauza after just nine months in charge with their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in tatters.
Bauza, 59, was appointed Argentina head coach at the start of August as Gerardo Martino’s replacement but his tenure has been abysmal and now the 2014 World Cup finalists face a real fight to make the tournament staged in Russia next year.
“We’ve reached an agreement, we’ve told Bauza he’s ceased to be the national team coach,” the Argentine’s FA recently elected Claudio Tapia told reporters, via The Daily Mail.
Reports have already suggested that Sevilla head coach and former Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli will step into the vacant position having previously made no attempt to hide his desire to manage Lionel Messi.
It was thought that Sampaoli would achieve that ambition at Barcelona but Sevilla’s fading season looks to have ruined that chance for now, with a return to the international circuit his best hope.
However, any new Argentina manager will have to navigate three of their four remaining World Cup qualifiers without Messi, who was hit with a four-match ban for insulting a match official last month.
Argentina are currently fifth in CONMEBOL qualification and need to finish in the top four to gain automatic passage through to the 2018 World Cup, while the fifth-placed team would have to settle for a play-off position against a team from Oceania.
However, while Argentina are only two points adrift of second they must also look over their shoulder with Ecuador just two points behind them in six.
