Sampaoli earned praise as the head coach of Universidad de Chile, winning three league titles and the Copa Sudamericana championship. This success led him to coach the Chilean men's national team in 2012, replacing Claudio Borghi. He led the Chile national football team to their first Copa América title, after defeating Argentina in the final in the 2015 tournament in Chile. He is well known for his attacking tactics which are similar to those of Marcelo Bielsa, according to the press and fans alike.