Football
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Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli rejects Mexico offer, reports say

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli rejected an offer to coach the Mexico national team but is considering an offer to coach Ligue 1 side Marseille, according to reports.

Sampaoli, va his agent, Greg Taylor, formally rejected the Mexico offer on Tuesday, following a two-hour meeting with Chile Football Federation chief Sergio Jadue, according to Chilean daily El Mercurio.

"The coach has the right to talk to whomever he wishes in his spare time," Jadue told reporters after his meeting with Sampaoli.

Jadue said he expects Sampaoli to see out the contract he has with Chile through the end of the 2018 World Cup. The deal has a reported $12 million release clause.

Sampaoli reportedly met on Sunday in Buenos Aires with Mexico national teams director Guillermo Cantu to hear the formal offer to replace Miguel Herrera, who last month led El Tri to CONCACAF Gold Cup victory. According to the report, Mexico was offering Sampaoli almost twice the $3.6 million of his current coaching salary for Chile as well as the promise of a long-term deal.

Sampaoli is also reportedly considering an offer to coach Internacional (Porto Alegre) in the Brazilian league.

Sampaoli had opened talks with Mexico more than a month ago while he was vacationing in Miami, according to the report.

Marseille's search for a new coach has begun in earnest following the shock resignation of Argentine Marcelo Bielsa. Marseille leadership is reportedly in Chile to open discussions with Sampaoli.

Mexico has various candidates under consideration, including Ricardo La Volpe, Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti, Gustavo Matosas and Marcelo Bielsa.

El Tri plays Trinidad & Tobago and Argentina early next month and then has an Oct. 10 Confederations Cup qualifier against the United States. 

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