Wolverhampton Wanderers soccer club have named Spaniard Julen Lopetegui as their new manager. The former Spain and Real Madrid boss succeeds Bruno Lage, who was sacked last month after a poor start of the season that left the team in the danger zone. Wolves sit 19th in the league table, winning only one game since Lage left. They are level in points with Forest at the rock bottom.
“Wolves are delighted to confirm the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as the club’s new head coach,” the club said in a statement. “The vastly experienced Spaniard, who has worked in coaching and management for nearly 20 years, will begin his first Premier League role on Monday 14th November when he officially takes charge of the men’s first-team squad.” Get a live football match score here!
“Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game, and we are very pleased to have agreed a deal to bring him to Wolves,” Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said. “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.”
Last month, La Liga outfit Sevilla announced that the 56-year-old had been sacked as the head coach just hours after the team’s Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund. For three years at the helm, Lopetegui has made a lot of achievements for the La Liga side, including consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Spanish league and three consecutive Champions League qualifications.
He also led the club to a record 77 points in La Liga in the 2020-21 season. They finished fourth last season despite holding the top spot for quite some time. Wolves previously eyed Lopetegui as coach when Fosun took control of the club in 2016. Nuno Espírito Santo got the job and led Wolves to promotion. Following his departure from Sevilla, Wolves contacted Lopetegui once again.
However, the veteran coach reportedly rejected the initial offer due to personal reasons. Earlier, club confirmed that Steve Davis will remain as Wolves’ interim head coach until 2023 following news about Lopetegui rejecting the initial offer. QPR boss Beale was also offered the job but declined. The rejections prompted Wolves to confirm Steve Davis as interim head coach until 2023 instead.
“It’s a top appointment and someone who we’ve been trying to get in for a while now. I’m just pleased that they’ve managed to get the person they wanted a while ago,” said Davis, speaking about Lopetegui’s arrival. Davis’ final game as interim coach will be this weekend’s home match against Brighton, while Lopetegui’s first game as manager will take place after World Cup break when Wolves face Everton.
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