Lopetegui deserved sack

LuiS RuBiaLES, president of the Spanish Football Federation, has been depicted as a petulant, small-minded and vindictive man over his dismissal of coach Julen Lopetegui. and, no, he didn’t have to sack him.

He could have decided that Lopetegui was entitled to pursue his career path, even in the week Spain’s World Cup campaign was due to begin. He could have reasoned this was the perfect way for his coach to spend his free time: negotiating with one of the most polarising influences in Spanish football.

He could have been satisfied that divisions between the capital and Catalonia would not come to the fore during the tournament; that the Barcelona contingent would be only too happy to share their secrets, desires and fears with a man who, from next month, will be devoting all his efforts to undoing them on behalf of bitter rivals. But, let’s face it, had Rubiales done this, he would have gone down as one of history’s foremost chuckleheaded optimists. Lopetegui had already split the camp by taking the Real Madrid players, alone, into his confidence about the move. To imagine there would be no suspicion or resentment after that crass demonstration of man-management is hopeful in the extreme, even if Barcelona’s contingent were initially supportive. Lose, and, with Lopetegui in charge, tensions were bound to boil over. Spain were doomed.

now? it’s a free hit. Spain have already won the prize for the worst-prepared team of this World Cup. They’ve gone from being among the favourites to addressing speculation that they won’t get out of the group.

nothing is expected of Fernando Hierro, or his team, despite the presence of some of the competition’s most gifted footballers. and if, by some miracle, they pull it off, every nation will be sacking the manager 48 hours before kick-off, with the Fa first in the queue. ‘it’s the Spanish model,’ they’ll say.