Jorge Sampaoli Reportedly No Longer in Running to Become Next Barcelona Manager

Jorge Sampaoli is reportedly out of the running to take over as manager of Barcelona in the summer following Sevilla's UEFA Champions League exit on Tuesday and the Blaugrana's remarkable recovery against Paris Saint-Germain last week.

According to MailOnline's Pete Jenson, Sampaoli was backed to succeed Luis Enrique as Barca boss after the Spanish manager revealed he would leave the post in the summer following the 4-0 defeat to PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. 

However, after Barca recovered to beat PSG 6-1 in the return leg and qualify for the quarter-finals, and Sevilla went out at the hands of Leicester City, the Catalan giants now feel no major change is needed, so Athletic Bilbao's Ernesto Valverde and Enrique's No. 2 Carlos Unzue are now the front-runners, added Jenson.

And Sampaoli is out of contention, a situation also reported by Catalunya Radio (via The Spanish Football Podcast):

The former Chile manager emerged as the fans' favourite to replace Enrique after the PSG defeat in February.

He headed a Marca poll of 40,000 people by winning 37 per cent of the vote, while former Barca player Valverde garnered 15 per cent. 

It would be a somewhat radical move for Barcelona to appoint Sampaoli, 57, as manager. 

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

He has proved himself to be a brilliant coach but is only in his first season as a manager in Europe and Spain, and he also has no previous connection with Barca.

The likes of Enrique, Pep Guardiola and the late Tito Vilanova were all well versed in the Barca traditions before taking up the job. And so is Valverde, who played for the Camp Nou outfit in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Other candidates previously mooted to take over from Enrique were also former Barca players, Real Sociedad manager Eusebio Sacristan and Everton boss Ronald Koeman, per Goal's Ignasi Oliva and Ben Hayward.

Now that Barca have been spared the humiliation of a last-16 exit to PSG following a heavy defeat and proved they are still a remarkable side, Barca are seemingly happy to play safe, meaning Sampaoli is no longer an option.

That can only be good news for Sevilla as, despite their surprise Champions League exit, they are still looking good in La Liga—they currently sit in third, five points back from leaders Real Madrid.