Julen Lopetegui: Wolves appoint ex-Real Madrid and Sevilla manager - BBC Sport
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Julen Lopetegui: Wolves appoint ex-Real Madrid and Sevilla manager

Last updated on .From the section Wolvescomments580

Julen Lopetegui
Lopetegui was let go by Sevilla in October after three years as their manager

Wolves have appointed Spaniard Julen Lopetegui as their new manager after he had initially turned them down.

The 56-year-old will take charge on 14 November, when the Premier League pauses for the World Cup in Qatar.

Lopetegui was the club's first choice to take over after they dismissed Bruno Lage on 2 October but he opted to stay at home to be near his elderly father.

"Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game," said Wolves chairman Jeff Shi.

"Since the very beginning, Julen has been our number one choice to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his team when they join us in the coming weeks."

Lopetegui's first match will be away to Everton in the Premier League on 26 December.

Former Real Madrid boss Lopetegui was sacked by Sevilla after three years in charge following a Champions League group game defeat by Borussia Dortmund in October.

Lopetegui was appointed Sevilla boss in June 2019 and led the club to the Europa League title in 2020.

His Wolves predecessor Lage was sacked after a run of one win in 15 Premier League matches, going back to last season, with caretaker Steve Davis currently charge.

The club had previously said Davis would remain in charge until 2023 after QPR boss Michael Beale rejected the job.

Wolves have lost three of their past five games under Davis and are second from bottom of the Premier League - two points below Southampton, who are just outside the relegation zone in 17th.

They play Brighton at Molineux on Saturday at 15:00 GMT, host Leeds in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday and then play Arsenal on 12 November in their final game before the World Cup break.

Lopetegui, who was due to coach Spain at the 2018 World Cup only to be sacked days before the tournament after accepting an offer from Real Madrid, is familiar to Wolves chairman Shi.

The pair spoke about Lopetegui becoming Wolves manager in 2016 following the takeover of the club by Chinese conglomerate Fosun.

Instead, he coached Spain and then Real Madrid - lasting just 138 days in charge of the latter before being sacked after a 5-1 defeat by Barcelona - before joining Sevilla in June 2019.

A former goalkeeper, Lopetegui played for Real Madrid and Barcelona and won one cap for Spain.

'Lopetegui can maximise the potential of a team'

Analysis - Spanish football expert Guillem Balague

We've seen with Sevilla, he brings more than football; football that is physical but has to do with tactics, possession, dominating games, attacking. When it worked well at Sevilla, it was wonderful to see.

I've always said Sevilla were the most 'Premier League' club in Spain. The high tempo, the diversification of the tactics, the good use of collective answers for a team that weren't the best individually - Lopetegui made the players better and the team compact, but always with the possibility of winning.

All that led to a Europa League win for Sevilla and showed that Lopetegui can maximise the potential of a team as one of the top managers around.

Between a club that was not investing in players properly having lost [Jules] Kounde and Diego Carlos for instance, and a manager that had squeezed a lot out of a side that was not properly recycled, all that meant it had to come to an end.

He had taken Sevilla into the Champions League for three consecutive seasons, something that hadn't happened before. I felt he was tired; mentally and physically. He has to give a lot of energy, something new was needed for him as well.

He took time off, his dad wasn't in a great place and he wanted to be close to him. It took priority, and Wolves said they would wait when Lopetegui said no.

Things have developed, not for the better, which means Lopetegui is rested and has given time to his dad. There is not much that can be done; he finds himself in a place where he is ready to work again, full of energy.

This is going to be one of the hardest things in football, to change a negative dynamic. But he has seen the potential of the side, he knows they are going to get better. Congratulations, Wolves fans, this is a great choice.

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580 comments

  • Comment posted by This name is awaiting moderation, at 09:28 5 Nov 2022

    Good, now get behind the team and new manager instead of slagging them off.

    • Reply posted by And I said, at 10:52 5 Nov 2022

      And I said replied:
      I guess things will now change from:

      Wolves = Portugal of the North

      To

      Wolves = Spain of the North

      Expect half the team to be Spanish this time next year.

  • Comment posted by DG_LDN, at 09:10 5 Nov 2022

    It’s only going to work if he’s allowed to run things his way. No Mendes influence, no Sellars involvement, no Shi thinking he knows about football.

    • Reply posted by Viva Espana, at 10:19 5 Nov 2022

      Viva Espana replied:
      It'll work because he's a good manager and they have a good squad. They're staying up.

  • Comment posted by RSH1989, at 09:21 5 Nov 2022

    Enough reason to be positive with this appointment, you would think he has enough clout to pull strings in the Jan 23 window and get players in very possibly from La Liga. I think he has been appointed for this reason as to who can do best in the window - I know FFP will still need to be abided.

    Could he be the magician to connect Traore with Costa and get the latter onto a scoring run?

    • Reply posted by OTS, at 09:31 5 Nov 2022

      OTS replied:
      At last a mature post that actually talks about the appointment. I agree, it's a potentially very good appointment for a club with a great fan-base and massive potential

      What a refreshing contribution from a proper fan, when compared to the usual childish uneducated drivel from the childish pathetic trolls that sliver onto these HYS forums.

  • Comment posted by loopy, at 09:22 5 Nov 2022

    For goodness sake, give the man a chance!

    • Reply posted by Viva Espana, at 10:23 5 Nov 2022

      Viva Espana replied:
      As Wolves manager, maybe he should change his name to Loupetegui

  • Comment posted by Wilk, at 09:04 5 Nov 2022

    Hooray!!! hope he can pull things together. Good luck to him. Up the Wolves.

    • Reply posted by gage, at 09:07 5 Nov 2022

      gage replied:
      Cant see this working at all. Not the right fit.

  • Comment posted by diggle, at 09:27 5 Nov 2022

    Best news that wolves could have hoped for . Should do well 🐺

    • Reply posted by Dallas Cowboys Liverpool FC, at 13:33 5 Nov 2022

      Dallas Cowboys Liverpool FC replied:
      A real coup for Wolves. Now if he is backed with the necessary resources Wolves can do very well from here onwards.

  • Comment posted by D1690470062842, at 09:20 5 Nov 2022

    Sensational coup. One of the best in the world. Wow. This is huge for the Premier League. Stacked full of top bosses.

    • Reply posted by Cactus, at 09:25 5 Nov 2022

      Cactus replied:
      You must be thinking of somebody else, though.

  • Comment posted by Gill, at 09:30 5 Nov 2022

    The whole managerial search at my team Wolves has certainly seemed to have been a fiasco at times, but they appear to be hopefully getting a manager they have had on their radar for some time - it also appears to be an opportunity that has come along as a result of changes in Lopetegui’s circumstances as opposed to Wolves’ desperation.

    • Reply posted by Darren62, at 11:23 5 Nov 2022

      Darren62 replied:
      Apparently Lopetegui was impressed with the way it was handled over his personal circumstances so made contact with Wolves this time.

  • Comment posted by TurtlePower, at 09:16 5 Nov 2022

    Thank goodness, hopefully he can get the team to play as a team, makes some desperately needed signings in January and keeps us up this season. UTW! #WolvesAyWe

    • Reply posted by Dallas Cowboys Liverpool FC, at 13:38 5 Nov 2022

      Dallas Cowboys Liverpool FC replied:
      Wolves sure need new players this January but will the ownership come up with the resources to fund these acquisitions? That's the key question.

  • Comment posted by al, at 09:07 5 Nov 2022

    Wolves fans - Any club which sell a player like Coady to a rival then appoints ex Crewe and Northwich Vics boss Steve Davis until 2023 only to u turn a month later, you really need to question who is running the club.

    • Reply posted by David, at 10:12 5 Nov 2022

      David replied:
      didn't sell coady. he is on loan. get it right

  • Comment posted by Oracle, at 09:29 5 Nov 2022

    “Be careful what you wish for.” Nuno IMHO was perfect for Wolves. He orchestrated promotion to the PL & like so many others before him became a victim of his own success. Instead of sacking him, why not work with him and support? Of course not. The fans demand more. Sack him & what happened? A string of unsuccessful managers tinkering with the squad that now looks disperate. I think it’s sad.

    • Reply posted by zuf, at 09:36 5 Nov 2022

      zuf replied:
      Nuno should never have gone but a "string of unsuccessful managers" just isn't true. There's only been one who lasted 18 months - Bruno Lage.

  • Comment posted by Ed, at 09:48 5 Nov 2022

    For all those posting negative posts, please read the very positive and inspiring words of “Spanish football expert Guillem Balague”. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day. COYW

    • Reply posted by Rob C, at 10:43 5 Nov 2022

      Rob C replied:
      Guillem Balague & expert in the same sentence oh my lol!!

  • Comment posted by Andrew Millichap , at 10:16 5 Nov 2022

    Come on BBC, sort your team selection page out. Our brilliant new left back Bueno has been our best player for the last 3 matches and you don’t even have him available as a pick 😳

  • Comment posted by Justsaying, at 09:37 5 Nov 2022

    Let’s hope that Julen has total control of which players come to the cub, and which ones leave.

    Scott Sellars told the press that if he didn’t want a player that Bruno wanted, Bruno wont get him…..then they sacked Bruno? Shouldn’t they have sacked Sellars too?

    • Reply posted by Darren62, at 11:33 5 Nov 2022

      Darren62 replied:
      Still think Sellers was behind the buy option in the Coady loan deal as well cos he didn't want him there...the loan was fine so Coady could play football before the WC but the buy option stank and I think Sellers was behind it.

  • Comment posted by Mick, at 09:58 5 Nov 2022

    The standard of journalism is appalling “his dad wasn’t in a great place”. BBC Sport should employ proper, trained journalists.

    • Reply posted by Kishan, at 11:48 5 Nov 2022

      Kishan replied:
      BBC journalism, in fact journalism full stop, is non-existent these days. They're just mouthpieces for whoever pulls the strings.

  • Comment posted by Averagejoe, at 09:57 5 Nov 2022

    Dear Santa

    Thank you for the non Portuguese manager.

    That just leaves a striker that knows how to score.

    I have been a good boy this year.

    • Reply posted by WESTMEAD HAWK, at 12:03 5 Nov 2022

      WESTMEAD HAWK replied:
      Karlan Grant is your man

  • Comment posted by D1713346643628, at 09:51 5 Nov 2022

    That's a very good appointment for Wolves and much needed too. Goes to show the pulling power of the Premier League. They've had awful luck with injuries but the transfer business at Molineux for the last two seasons or so has been frankly baffling. Stating the obvious here but the first job is to get them scoring again, they aren't creative enough in the midfield and really lack a decent forward.

  • Comment posted by DannyG, at 09:38 5 Nov 2022

    Let’s hope he puts the idiots at the top in their place and insists on being allowed to do the job he’s been brought in to do. UTW

  • Comment posted by Sonny, at 10:06 5 Nov 2022

    Love to have been a fly on the wall when he broke the news to his wife they’re swapping sunny Spain for Wolvaa-hampton! Brave man

    • Reply posted by KevWW, at 10:32 5 Nov 2022

      KevWW replied:
      Xenophob

  • Comment posted by Bilbo, at 09:38 5 Nov 2022

    Glad we’ve got someone in, and someone we’ve wanted for a long time so hopefully he will be given time and proper backing to do the job. Horrendous set of fixtures for him to start with so going to have a massive challenge keeping us up. Really need to beat Brighton and stay within touching distance heading in to World Cup.

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