La Liga club Sevilla fired manager Jorge Sampaoli and appointed Jose Luis Mendilibar in the position, the Spanish outfit announced on Tuesday.

"We have taken the decision to terminate Sampaoli's contract following the loss to Getafe which leaves us on the brink of the relegation zone," Sevilla said in a statement. "The fact that the team has not managed to move clear of bottom of the table since he took over as coach, in addition to the team's performances in the last few games, have led to this decision."

Sampaoli became the second manager to be sacked by Sevilla this season after he replaced Julen Lopetegui in October 2022. The team ranks 14th in La Liga after 26 games and are only two points above the relegation zone. They lost to Getafe 2-0 on the road on March 19 and were smashed by Atletico Madrid 6-1 on March 4.

"I leave with my head held high because of the attitude [shown] at all times, because we are in the quarterfinals of the Europa League and because we put a lot of effort into taking this story forward," Sampaoli posted on Instagram after he was fired. "Football doesn't always give back the insomnia we dedicate to it. But I have no doubt that it was worth offering and putting my heart into this shield."

Mendilibar, 62, is an experienced manager, and has coached a number of clubs in Spain. He last managed Deportivo Alaves for a period of four months between December 2021 and April 2022. The club won only one of their 12 games under him before dismissing him.

Despite their underwhelming La Liga campaign, Sevilla have reached the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals, where they will play Manchester United in the first leg at home on April 20. Sevilla have won the tournament a record six times.