Julen Lopetegui was dismissed as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup after announcing his intention to move to Real Madrid after the competition.
Barely 90 days into his tenure at the Bernabeu, Lopetegui was sacked after a run of five defeats in seven matches, capped up in a 5-1 destroying by rivals Barcelona.
Speaking about his experiences in both teams, he said,
“It was not easy for me,” said Lopetegui. “We worked very hard for two years, we felt that we were ready to have a fantastic World Cup.
“Two months previously, when I signed a new contract with Spain, they put a buyout clause in. It was [Luis] Rubiales’ idea, I agreed it with him no problem and then it [the Real Madrid job offer] happened.
“The timing was not chosen by me or Real Madrid – I said yes, but I knew the World Cup was my only responsibility. To keep it secret for one month is impossible and was not honest.
“We were convinced it was best to have a press conference to open and close the issue then, after that, the only focus was the World Cup.
“The players were fantastic. After I told them, we had our best training session in the three weeks of our preparation so we were very happy but in the end the president took that decision.
“It was a very hard moment and I will never forget it because it was a surprise. I felt it was very unfair.
“It was a five-hour flight home from Moscow to Madrid and I did not say anything but that is life. It was a very hard experience but you need to try and put it in a positive situation.”
“I didn’t sleep; I didn’t know where I was. One day I was in Russia training for the World Cup, the next I was in the Santiago Bernabeu with a new team,” he said.
“It was very fast, difficult to take in and the emotions were high. It was hard to be told to leave the World Cup, it was a dream that I hard worked so hard for and with all this emotion, I am human, so sometimes you can’t control it.”
“We had a good start, the team was playing well but then we had three very bad weeks,” he said.
“You just hope you have time to find a solution because these things can balance out over a season. We were sure this situation was going to pass.
“I didn’t have time, that is the best way I can explain it.”
“I have all respect for the new coach [Santiago Solari], his new staff. And the players – I love them, they had a fantastic attitude with me.
“I would never say a bad word about Real Madrid. To manage the club is a fantastic experience for any coach. I hoped I could have more time but I have to look to the future.”
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