Sports
After losing to Barcelona, Real Madrid sack Lopetegui
Dismissal was announced through an official club statement
Julen Lopetegui is no longer the coach of Real Madrid. The 5-1 defeat against rival Barcelona on Sunday for the tenth round of the Spanish league was the last straw to end the coach’s passage after four and a half months. The resignation was decided after the board meeting on Monday.
“The decision is aimed at changing the dynamics in which the main team can not be found, while the goals of the season are still achievable. Management understands that there is a big disproportion between the quality of Real Madrid’s squad, the Golden Ball, something unprecedented in the history of the club, and the results obtained so far, “said the Real.
The year 2018 is not good for Lopetegui. On June 13, two days before the start of the World Cup in Russia, the coach was fired from the Spanish team for having accepted the invitation of Real Madrid to replace Zinedine Zidane.
Spain ended up training in the World Cup by Fernando Hierro, assistant of Lopetegui, and, without brilliance, was eliminated in the eighth of end by the host Russia, in the dispute of penalties.
At Real, Lopetegui was not even able to repeat the work of Zidane, three times champion of the Champions League. Soon, he lost the European Super Cup to Atletico Madrid 4-2.
Lopetegui left Real in ninth place with only 14 points behind Barcelona. There were four wins, four defeats and two draws in the competition so far. The attack made 14 goals and the defense also took 14 goals.
In the Champions League, the team has an irregular campaign with two victories and one defeat. In Group G, it adds six points and divides the first place with Rome. CSKA Moscow has four points.
In total, Lopetegui commanded Real Madrid in 14 matches. It was six wins, two draws and six losses. The team scored 21 goals and suffered 20.
The Real was expected to announce on Monday the Italian Antonio Conte, but according to the Spanish press, disagreements under the contract prevented the agreement between the parties. For this reason, the Madrid team will be led interim by Santiago Solari, a former club player in the early 2000s.
