RIO DE JANEIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Former Argentina and Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli has been offered the chance to manage Ecuador's national team, according to media reports in South America.

Ecuador officials contacted the 59-year-old after the team's group-stage elimination from the Copa America in Brazil last week, Globo Esporte said on Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the talks.

Ecuador are currently managed by Hernan Dario Gomez, who took charge of La Tricolor for a second time last July after leading Panama to their first World Cup finals in Russia.

The 63-year-old was also Ecuador's head coach from 1999 to 2004, guiding them to the 2002 World Cup. He led his native Colombia to the World Cup finals in France four years earlier.

Sampaoli lost his job as Argentina manager after the Albiceleste's 4-3 defeat to France in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup.

He was appointed Santos boss in December and has guided the club to second in the current 20-team Brazilian top-flight standings with 20 points from nine matches, five points behind leaders Palmeiras.

Sampaoli's deal with Santos is due to expire in December 2020 and he has a three million-euro buyout clause in the first year of his contract.