Real Madrid fires coach Lopetegui after big loss to Barca

Real Madrid has fired coach Julen Lopetegui.

The announcement was made after a meeting by the club’s board of directors yesterday, a day after the team was crushed by Barcelona 5-1 at Camp Nou Stadium.

It was the team’s fifth loss in seven matches in all competitions.

The club says Santiago Solari, photo, coach of Real Madrid B, will be in charge until a replacement to Lopetegui was hired.

Newspapers MARCA and AS had revealed that Solari had to be appointed as interim manager until the end of the season.

According to reports, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez may also be a potential candidate to join Real Madrid eventually, but Solari will now be coaching the team in the Copa del Rey match against Melilla and also against Valladolid this upcoming weekend.

Former Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte was also in the frame to replace Lopetegui, but reports say that Real’s interest has dropped.

Solari is a former Real player and he currently manages the club’s B team, Castilla, who are fifth in Group 1 of Segunda Division B.

Solari played for Real alongside England former stars David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Solari won the Champions League and two La Liga titles with Real after joining the club from cross-city rivals Atletico in 2000. The Argentine spent five years at the Santiago Bernabeu before leaving for Inter where he lifted three Serie A titles in three seasons at the San Siro.

Lopetegui’s predecessor Zinedine Zidane also managed Castilla before he became Real manager in January 2016 when the club sacked Rafael Benitez.