Real name Lopetegui as coach
MADRID: Spain coach Julen Lopetegui would take over as Real Madrid manager on a three-year contract after the World Cup, the European champions said yesterday.
Frenchman Zinedine Zidane stepped down two weeks ago, days after leading Real to a third consecutive Champions League title.
Lopetegui, who last month signed a new contract through to 2020 with Spain, spent three years with Real as a player, making a solitary first team appearance in 1990.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said it would receive “the full buy-out clause so the current national team boss can sign for Real Madrid”.
“The RFEF asks for maximum respect in order that normality is kept in the national team’s training camp just ahead of our first game at the World Cup against Portugal,” it added.
The 51-year-old took over as Spain coach in 2016 after the retirement of Vicente Del Bosque who led his country to victory in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.
Spain, unbeaten in 20 games under Lopetegui, play neighbours Portugal on Friday in their opening World Cup Group B match in Sochi, Russia, before facing Iran and Morocco.
Lopetegui spent a season as coach of Real’s B-team Castilla from 2008-09 before taking over as Spain Under-19 manager in 2010.
He enjoyed success with the country’s youth sides, winning the 2012 Under-19 European Championship before repeating the feat as Under-21 boss 12 months later.
Lopetegui’s forays into club management have been less successful. He was sacked from a spell in charge of Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s second division in 2003 and left Portuguese club Porto after failing to win any silverware from 2014-16.
He has developed a reputation as Spain coach for entertaining winning football and has also shown in the past that he is not afraid to get rid of established stars who are no longer wanted in the first team.
He was the Spain coach who finally left out Iker Casillas.
He will now be tasked with handling Cristiano Ronaldo’s final years at Madrid. The player is in a contract stalemate with the club.
Lopetegui could be the man to usher out the all-time record scorer but he has said in the past that he had nothing but praise for the Portuguese international whom he would face on Friday in Spain’s opening World Cup match.
Lopetegui said recently: “Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in history. He has maintained his levels of ambition and intensity and that is why he has survived so long at the top.” – Reuters & DPA