Julen Lopetegui, pack your bags
After Sunday’s humiliating Clásico defeat, Real Madrid look set to sack Julen Lopetegui today. Madrid are lurking in 9th place in LaLiga after ten league matches, seven points behind Barcelona, and Lopetegui will face the consequences.
Antonio Conte is reportedly in line to replace him in the dugout at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Italian left Chelsea at the end of last season after winning one league title and one FA Cup in his two year spell at Stamford Bridge, and is one of the only top managers currently not tied to a job.
Conte could be announced as Lopetegui’s replacement as soon as today, according to Spanish press.
Real Madrid’s slow start to the season should not come as a surprise, as the club are going through a transitional period, adjusting to life without Cristiano Ronaldo. However, there are always certain standards to be met and if there is any danger of the club not qualifying for the Champions League, the manager will always be the fall guy.
Many were surprised that the club allowed Lopetegui to take charge of Sunday’s Clásico, as he was seemingly already destined for the sack whatever the result. A 5-1 loss, also known as a ‘manita‘, appears to have sealed his fate.
Madrid captain Sergio Ramos insisted after the game that the players were all united behind Lopetegui, but admitted that they must respect the decisions that come from above and that he didn’t know how long the coach had left in the job.
