RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Atletico Mineiro has appointed Argentine Jorge Sampaoli as its new head coach, the Brazilian Serie A club said on Tuesday.

The 65-year-old signed a deal running until December 2027, according to a statement on Atletico's official website.

He replaces Alexi Stival, better known as Cuca, who was sacked last week after a 2-0 defeat to local rival Cruzeiro in their Copa do Brasil quarterfinal first leg.

Sampaoli had been out of work since leaving France's Stade Rennais in January.

It will be his second spell at Atletico, having guided the Belo Horizonte club to third in Brazil's top flight in 2020 before leaving after less than a year.

Atletico is 14th in Brazil's Serie A standings, just two points clear of the relegation zone. ■