Juan Antonio Pizzi failed in his mission of guiding Chile to the 2018 World Cup, but the Argentinian manager will still be in Russia.
On Tuesday, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced Pizzi as Saudi Arabia's manager. The tactician is replacing Edgardo Bauza, who was relieved of the role on Wednesday, making Pizzi the Green Falcons' third commander in three months.
Pizzi had a tough act to follow as Chile's manager. He took the job after Jorge Sampaoli, who led a golden generation to the country's first-ever trophy at the 2015 Copa America, resigned. But he performed admirably, leading La Roja to glory at the Copa America Centenario, where the national team beat Argentina on penalty kicks for the second time in two years.
Unfortunately for Pizzi, his time in Chile had an unhappy ending. La Roja failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup - the result of an ageing generation that could no longer carry out the high-intensity blueprint initially laid down by Sampaoli.
The final draw for the 2018 World Cup is scheduled for Friday. Saudi Arabia is in Pot 4.
