The 62 year-old, who was in charge of Marseille last season, was originally handed the top job at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in June 2016, succeeding Unai Emery.

During his lone year at the club, he took Sevilla to a fourth-place finish in LaLiga, and the round of 16 in the Champions League.

Now he replaces Lopetegui amid a dismal start to the 2022-2023 season for Sevilla, with the club 17th in LaLiga and similarly adrift in Europe after a 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.

Sampaoli's immediate remit will be ensuring a swift turnaround in fortunes for the club, starting with this weekend's clash with Athletic Club. He has signed a deal running until the end of June 2024.

A return trip to Dortmund will present an opportunity for Sevilla to potentially turn around its flagging fortunes in the Champions League.