Julen Lopetegui makes managerial return three months after West Ham sack
Julen Lopetegui has stepped away from top level European football and accepted the Qatari national team job.
The Spaniard last coached in January when he was fired by West Ham after an underwhelming stint that saw seven wins and ten defeats in 22 games.
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Previous to that, he managed fellow Premier League side Wolves after one of the most bizarre career trajectories in Spanish football.
The Qatari FA have now confirmed his appointment in a social media statement that read: “Ready for a new chapter. Welcome Lopetegui.
“We're excited to embark on this journey together.”
Lopetegui is best known outside of the UK for his time as Spain manager, which ended in sensational circumstances when he was sacked on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.
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Already in Russia for the tournament, Madrid announced a deal to bring him in after the competition, which Spain considered a sackable offence.
Now he’ll be returning to international management with a side that has very little history outside of the continent.
Qatar have only featured in one World Cup - the 2022 edition which they hosted amid intense criticism over deaths of migrant workers, LGBTQ+ rights, and allegations of bribery over their bid.
They finished with the worst points total of all 32 teams, but have had success elsewhere as AFC Asian Cup winners in 2019 and 2023.
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Despite that, Lopetegui will have his work cut out with Qatar, who are currently fourth in their World Cup qualifying group with two games to play.
They are now unable to qualify directly for the main tournament via the group, but are in a good position to keep their hopes alive by making the fourth round of AFC qualifying.
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Lopetegui’s first scheduled fixtures would be the two final group games against Iran and Uzbekistan on June 5 and 10.
The Basque coach had earlier been linked with a return home to where it all began at Real Sociedad.
Marca claimed he was in the running to replace the departing Imanol Alguacil, but Qatar will instead be his new home.
The 58-year-old has never played or coached outside of Europe in a lengthy career.
The former goalkeeper’s best coaching success came with Sevilla, with whom he won the 2020 Europa League.
But he won’t be welcomed back in East London any time soon, with his spell at West Ham widely derided by supporters and former players.
Tony Cottee Hits Out At Julen Lopetegui & Doesn't Believe He Can Turn Things Around At West Ham
Two days before his sacking on January 8, club legend Tony Cotee told talksPORT: "I think they should hang their heads in shame; Tim Steidten and David Sullivan and the board because it was just a pathetic appointment.
"They should never have done it in the first place. It was just so the wrong appointment.
"You can blame Lopetegui. He's been poor, he's made bad decisions tactically, he's been all over the place, they've spent lots of money. Defensively, God knows how many goals they've conceded, but Tim Steidten is the director of football.
"David Sullivan's in charge of the football side of things. From the board's point of view, they've got to take responsibility. They can't keep making these stupid mistakes.
"If you're going to change the manager and get rid of what was one of the most successful managers in West Ham's history in terms of winning the trophy [David Moyes], you've got to make the right appointment."
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