Julen Lopetegui is now the new West Ham United manager.
The Hammers officially announced the parting of ways with David Moyes on Sunday, saying that he will step down as manager at the end of the season when his contract expires. This marks Moyes’ departure from the Hammers after six years with the club, including a year and a half in charge in 2017.
Lopetegui had been touted as a possible successor to Moyes. “Lopetegui has agreed to take over from Moyes next season,” said Fabrizio Romano, a journalist familiar with the European transfer market. The contract will be signed once the details are finalized.”
Lopetegui is an experienced manager across Europe. He took over at FC Porto in the 2014-15 season. His first season was a success. They finished second in the league with only two losses and reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL). However, he was unable to lift the trophy and was sacked midway through the following season.
Lopetegui’s experience as a youth coach with the Spanish national team before taking over at Porto was recognized when he was named head coach of the Spain A team. He proved his worth during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, including a 6-1 win over Argentina. In 20 games with the Spain A team, he won 14 and drew six. However, Lopetegui was abruptly fired just before the World Cup.
Lopetegui then had a brief stint at the helm of Real Madrid. He was sacked early due to poor results and moved to Sevilla. He led the team for four seasons, winning the UEFA Europa League (UEL) in 2019-20.
Korean soccer fans know him best as the coach of Hwang Hee-chan. He took over midway through last season and played 27 games with Wolverhampton. He didn’t last 사설토토 until this season, as the club finished 13th and mutually terminated his contract following poor results.
Lopetegui is reportedly already planning for the new season with West Ham. His first task is to bring in new players. The transfer market is shaping up. On May 20, Romano reported, “The contract between West Ham and Lopetegui has been finalized since May 6 and has even been officially announced by the club. Lopetegui and West Ham are already planning for the summer transfer market.”
Lopetegui now has an enemy in Hwang Hee-chan.