RENNES (AP) — Former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli is taking over at struggling French league side Rennes.
The fiery 64-year-old is returning to French soccer following a previous stint with Marseille. Rennes said that Sampaoli signed a 1 1/2-year contract.
Sampaoli, who was in charge of Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, replaces Julien Stephan, who was dismissed last week.
“The situation is not ideal and it needs to be resolved as quickly as possible,” Sampaoli said on Tuesday. “Neither the city, nor the club, nor the fans, nor the shareholders deserve this situation. This is a new stage that will require a lot of work. I accepted the offer because Stade Rennais FC is a great club.”
Rennes is looking for a jolt after a mediocre spell that saw the team slump to 13th place in the standings, 18 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain after 11 matches, and just one point above the relegation playoffs.
“He is a coach who is recognized internationally for his professionalism and humanism,” said Arnaud Pouille, the executive chairman and managing director at Rennes. “He has a strong attachment to his players and staff, and is a loyal and committed man. We need his energy to get the club moving again and to face the competition with determination.”
The much-traveled Sampaoli has also coached clubs in Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Spain and Brazil. He became Rennes’ first foreign coach in 18 years, according to the French league.
Sampaoli abruptly left Marseille in July 2022 after leading the team back to the Champions League, over a disagreement related to the club's transfers of players.
Sampaoli's first match in charge following the international break will be against fourth-place Lille on Nov. 24.
“We will first need to make sure that the team finds its confidence back,” said Sampaoli, who attended Rennes's 2-0 loss against Toulouse on Sunday.
“This weekend, with the change of coach, I saw a team in transition," he said. "I think that with a new method and new ideas we will be able to find a diagnosis that will help us improve the situation and boost the players' morale.”
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FILE - Coach Jorge Sampaoli of Brazil's Flamengo reacts during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File )
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met on Monday in western Gujarat state to push for deeper economic and security ties between the South Asian nation and Europe’s largest economy.
Modi and Merz held talks in the city of Gandhinagar, where the two countries signed various agreements to enhance cooperation in the defense sector, skill development, health and education, as both nations seek to reduce dependence on China and bolster economic ties.
After the bilateral talks, Modi noted that Germany is India’s most important trading partner in the European Union and said both leaders were seeking to expand those ties.
He said the two countries are pursuing new projects in areas such as climate action, energy and mining of rare earth elements, and have also agreed on a road map to boost cooperation between their defense industries for joint development and production.
“We want to elevate the relations between India and Germany to an even higher level,” Modi said.
Germany has not traditionally had close defense ties with India, but the two sides have been trying to boost cooperation in the sector. Germany’s Thyssenkrupp is expected to partner with Indian firms to build six advanced conventional submarines in India, part of New Delhi’s ongoing efforts to modernize its naval capabilities.
Merz said India and Germany share “tremendous economic potential,” and the two countries are working together to strengthen ties in the field of security policy and defense cooperation.
“India is a desired partner, a partner of choice for Germany,” Merz said, according to a live official translation. He added that negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the EU need to be concluded to fully realize the potential of economic ties between the two countries.
The two sides also signed an agreement that makes it easier for Indians to work in Germany's health care sector.
Merz’s visit to India — also his first to an Asian country since he took office last year — comes ahead of a planned India-EU summit later this month, where leaders hope to make progress on a long-pending free trade agreement. India hopes to deepen economic engagement with Europe in the face of U.S. tariff rates of 50%.
During his visit, Merz toured the Sabarmati Ashram, once home to independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, and attended the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati riverfront. Modi and Merz flew kites during the event.
Merz, who is accompanied by a large business delegation, is later scheduled to travel to southern Bengaluru city to meet Indian and German business and technology leaders.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fly a kite during the inauguration of International kite festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ride together in a vehicle during the inauguration of International kite festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves as they arrive for the inauguration of the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepare to fly a kiteduring the inauguration of International kite festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz fly kites during the inauguration of International kite festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
