Julien Lopetegui: The Next England Manager?
If you are a fan of English football, you might have heard the rumors that Julien Lopetegui is one of the candidates to replace Gareth Southgate as the next manager of the England national team. But who is Julien Lopetegui and what makes him qualified for this prestigious job? In this article, we will take a look at his life and career, as well as his strengths and weaknesses as a coach.
Julien Lopetegui was born in Asteasu, Spain, on 28 August 1966. He started his football career as a goalkeeper, playing for Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano. He also represented Spain at various youth levels and made one appearance for the senior team in 1994. He retired from playing in 2002 and became a coach.
Lopetegui’s coaching career began at Rayo Vallecano, where he was an assistant manager. He then moved to Real Madrid, where he coached the youth teams and the B team. In 2010, he was appointed as the manager of Spain’s under-19 team, leading them to the European Championship title in 2012. He repeated this feat with the under-21 team in 2013.
In 2014, Lopetegui was named as the manager of Porto, his first experience in club football outside Spain. He had a mixed spell in Portugal, winning some domestic cups but failing to win the league or make an impact in the Champions League. He left Porto in 2016 after two seasons.
Lopetegui returned to Spain in 2016 as the manager of the senior national team, replacing Vicente del Bosque. He guided Spain to a flawless qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup, winning nine games and drawing one. However, he was sacked just two days before the start of the tournament after it was announced that he had agreed to become the manager of Real Madrid after the World Cup.
Lopetegui’s stint at Real Madrid was short-lived and disastrous. He only lasted four months in charge of the Spanish giants, winning six games, drawing two and losing six. He was fired in October 2018 after a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico.
Lopetegui’s career seemed to be in tatters after his failures with Spain and Real Madrid, but he managed to bounce back in 2019 when he took over Sevilla. He led Sevilla to a fourth-place finish in La Liga and a Europa League title in his first season. He also reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals and the Champions League last-16 in his second season. He is currently under contract with Sevilla until 2024.
So what are Lopetegui’s strengths and weaknesses as a manager? On the positive side, he is a tactically astute coach who likes to play attractive and possession-based football. He is also good at developing young players and giving them opportunities. He has experience at both club and international level and has won trophies with different teams.
On the negative side, he is prone to making controversial decisions that can backfire on him. He is also not very good at handling pressure and expectations from fans and media. He has had some clashes with players and staff in the past and has been accused of being too rigid and stubborn in his approach.
Would Lopetegui be a good fit for England? That is hard to say. He certainly has some qualities that could benefit the England team, such as his tactical knowledge, his ability to work with young talents and his winning mentality. However, he also has some flaws that could hinder him, such as his lack of loyalty, his poor communication skills and his tendency to crack under pressure.
Ultimately, it will depend on whether Lopetegui is interested in taking the England job and whether the FA is willing to take a gamble on him. For now, he seems happy at Sevilla and has no intention of leaving anytime soon. But if he does get an offer from England, he might be tempted to take it as a chance to redeem himself after his previous failures.