Sampaoli Returns to Atlético Mineiro as Brazil’s Second-Highest Paid Coach

Jorge Sampaoli is set for a second spell at Atlético Mineiro, per La Nación. The 65-year-old Argentine coach has agreed to a lucrative contract worth $3.5 million per year after taxes, making him the second-highest paid manager in Brazil behind Palmeiras’ Abel Ferreira. His comeback arrives at a turbulent moment for the Belo Horizonte club, which recently dismissed Cuca following a derby loss to Cruzeiro in the Copa do Brasil and a poor domestic campaign that has left them just above the relegation zone.

Sampaoli previously managed the Galo between March 2020 and February 2021, winning the Minas Gerais state championship and finishing third in the Brasileirão to secure a Copa Libertadores berth. During that stint, he oversaw 44 games with a 1.91 points-per-match average, his second-best record after his highly successful run with Universidad de Chile. He left in early 2021 to take charge of Olympique de Marseille, parting ways with a public letter thanking fans, players, and staff, while lamenting the empty stadiums caused by the pandemic.

This time, the Argentine will inherit a squad stacked with stars including Hulk, Gustavo Scarpa, Dudú, Reinier, Alan Franco, and fellow Argentine Fausto Vera, though financial instability and unpaid wages continue to weigh on the club. Atlético Mineiro, now structured as a football joint-stock company, remains alive in the Copa Sudamericana, where they face Bolivia’s Bolívar in the quarterfinals after eliminating Godoy Cruz.

Having also managed Santos, Flamengo, and more recently Rennes, Sampaoli strengthens his long-standing connection with Brazilian football. His return signals the club’s ambition to restore its competitive edge after finishing as Copa Libertadores runners-up in 2024, with the Argentine tasked with reigniting Atlético Mineiro’s push for titles at home and abroad.