Chelsea Blog: Will Jorge Sampaoli Succeed Where Jose Mourinho Failed?

The rumours coming out from South America and London are that an Argentine is set to take over at Chelsea. The Blues know that Guus Hiddink needs to be replaced at the end of the season and as per reports, they are already planning to take in Jorge Sampaoli, the ex-Chile manager.

The fiery manager was relieved from his duties of managing Chile earlier in the month after a successful spell with him leading the side to Copa America triumph in 2015. He is considered to be one of the best managers out there and with him apparently learning English; he could be a great signing for the Premier League.

Sampaoli was expected to be the first manager in line to take over from Garry Monk at Swansea but now it seems that he is the favourite to take over at Chelsea. The Blues have needed someone who can turn things around at the club after Jose Mourinho but would he be a great signing for the London side?

The Blues need to get rid of the blues

Jorge is a disciple of the Marcelo Bielsa school of management, that means this Argentine is just as passionate and maybe a little crazy as his teacher Bielsa. Chile under Sampaoli played a great pressing and high-pressing game that the national team had played earlier under Bielsa.

Sampaoli also has managed a number of clubs but he was most successful at Universidad de Chile where he won four trophies before taking over the Chile job. He isn’t someone who just sits tightly on the side-lines and watches his team go through the motions such as a Louis van Gaal but is someone who enjoys and lives every moment of the game.

Similar to Jurgen Klopp, Sampaoli is extremely energetic on the pitch and he expects the same from his Chelsea team. He would have to work hard with the current team at Chelsea; they need someone who can rejuvenate not only the players but also the playing style.

One thing is guaranteed under Sampaoli, he would expect a lot of running and pressing from his team, certainly more than that under any other previous manager at Chelsea. The players would have to buy into this philosophy, which would be tough considering that Jorge hasn’t really managed a top level club in his managerial career.

Sampaoli also has never managed in Europe and this would be a learning curve for him. Chelsea might want someone new to bring in a change in philosophy and if Sampaoli is given the time – which is never a guarantee in the management world – he would be a great choice for the Blues but the biggest question is if Chelsea would be willing to spend a year or two in the transition phase.