Despite incurring the wrath of the entire Spanish Football Federation on the eve of a World Cup to hire him, Real Madrid have tonight sacked coach Julen Lopetegui after four/five-ish months (and just 14 games) in charge.
Real tanked against Barcelona in the Clasico at the weekend, slumping to a rancid 5-1 defeat – the result that signalled the tolling of the bell for their manager.
After calling an emergency board meeting on Monday night, Los Blancos have now issued a comunicado oficial to confirm Lopetegui’s dismissal.
The board of directors […] have agreed to terminate the contract that linked coach Julen Lopetegui with the club.
This decision, adopted from the highest level of responsibility, aims to change the dynamics of the first team, when all the objectives of this season are still achievable.
The statement also references the “great disproportion” between the quality of Real’s squad and the results they’ve obtained so far this season, with the team currently slumming it down in ninth place in La Liga.
Word on the wire is that president Florentino Perez will be swearing in Antonio Conte as his new man within the next 24 hours.
As for Lopetegui, that’s now two dream jobs squandered in the space of a few months by a man who arguably didn’t really merit either of them.