West Ham appoint Julen Lopetegui as manager: Decoding his stats
Premier League outfit West Ham United have appointed Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach. The 57-year-old Spaniard, who agreed a deal with the Hammers earlier this month, has taken over from David Moyes. He has joined on a two-year deal, with the option for a third. Lopetegui was available in the market since leaving Premier League side Wolves in August. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
West Ham parted ways with Moyes, who took over for his second spell at the club in December 2019 and won the Europa Conference League in 2023. The 61-year-old Scot had come under increasing pressure after series of poor results which saw the side finish ninth in the Premier League 2023-24 campaign. The Hammers missed out on a fourth successive season in Europe.
Lopetegui really happy after signing West Ham deal
Lopetegui, who will officially begin his role on July 1, said: "I feel very happy, first of all, to be able to be part of the future of this big club." "We had other opportunities but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too, so we are really happy about this," the Spaniard added.
Lopetegui shined as Spain's U19-U20-U21 manager
Lopetegui started his career with Rayo Vallecano, managing just 11 matches (W2 D2 L7). After managing Real Madrid B, he took over as the coach of Spain U19-U20-U21. posting a win percentage of 84.44. He managed 45 matches and posted 38 wins (D3 L4). He won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2012 and UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2013.
Lopetegui's biggest mistake at a crucial juncture
From July 2016 to June 2018, Lopetegui managed the senior men's Spain football team. He oversaw 20 matches, winning 14 and drawing six. However, he left just before the 2018 FIFA World Cup and joined Real Madrid. It didn't go well at Real for Lopetegui, who was shown the door after 18 matches (W6 D2 L6). He had a win percentage of 42.86.
His time at Porto
Lopetegui joined Portuguese side FC Porto in 2014 and managed them until January 7, 2016. He had an impressive record, securing 53 wins from 78 matches (D16 L9). His win percentage was 67.95.
Lopetegui won the Europa League with Sevilla
Lopetegui's best time in his career was with Spanish side Sevilla. He joined Sevilla in June 2019 and spent more than three seasons there. He left in October 2022. Lopetegui managed 170 matches, clocking 90 wins, 44 draws and 36 defeats. He had a win percentage of 52.94. Lopetegui's best moment came when his side won the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League trophy.
Wolves chapter ended shortly due to differences
Lopetegui was appointed Wolves manager in November 2022. However, he left the club, three days before the Premier League season begun. Wolves said both parties had "accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution". Lopetegui took over when Wolves were bottom of the PL table before guiding them to 13th place.
His stats at Wolves
Lopetegui managed Wolves in 27 matches, securing 10 wins (D6 L11). His win percentage was 37.04. He managed 23 games in the Premier League, winning nine, drawing four and losing 10 matches. Wolves scored 23 goals and conceded 24.
