Spain opts for Lopetegui as Big Sam waits
Print Edition
SPAIN’S football federation, RFEF, named Julen Lopetegui as the new coach of the national team yesterday, replacing Vicente del Bosque.
Del Bosque stepped down after eight years in charge following Spain’s elimination in the round of 16 of the European Championship last month.
The 49-year-old Lopetegui had been without a job since January after being fired from FC Porto, his only head coaching job with a major club. He failed to win a title during almost two years in Portugal.
An ex-goalkeeper who started a handful of games for Real Madrid and Barcelona, Lopetegui played for Spain in the 1994 World Cup. He coached Spain’s youth squads from 2010-14.
Del Bosque left after leading Spain’s most successful generation of players to titles at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship.
One of Lopetegui’s main tasks will be to rebuild the team as many of its top players have started to fade. His familiarity with some of Spain’s younger players from his stint as its youth team coach could help him move on from an aging group led by the 32-year-old Andres Iniesta.
In a statement on the RFEF’s website, Lopetegui recognized the challenge ahead.
“A national team coach has very little time to transmit what he needs to a player before a big competition,” Lopetegui said.
His first match will be Spain’s friendly in Belgium on September 1. Four days later Spain starts its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a home match against Liechtenstein.
Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce was set to be hired as the new England manager at a Football Association board meeting at Wembley yesterday, FA Chairman Greg Dyke said.
Allardyce has been selected by a three-man panel which decided the Sunderland boss was the best bet on a short-list that also included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and United States coach Juergen Klinsmann.
It has been reported that the FA’s first choice was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but when he snubbed its approach, Allardyce, who had received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, shot to the top of its list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson.
Dyke was due to step down after three years as FA chairman yesterday but, although he was not involved in the process, he will be present as FA Chief Executive Martin Glenn, FA technical director Dan Ashworth and vice chairman David Gill present their reasons for nominating Allardyce.
Asked if Allardyce was the man to take over from Hodgson, who quit after England’s humiliating Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland, Dyke told Sky Sports News: “Clearly the three-man group are convinced he’s the right man and I go along with that, yes.”
Once that is ratified the business of finalizing the details will take precedence — with personal terms still to be settled and a compensation package for Sunderland among issues.
It is thought Allardyce will be offered an initial two-year deal up to the end of the 2018 World Cup campaign.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
