Wolves have confirmed the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as their new manager just months after the former Spain boss missed out on the Manchester United job.
It comes over a month after the struggling Midlands outfit parted company with Bruno Lage after just one victory in their opening eight Premier League matches this campaign. Wolves promoted Under-18 coach Steve Davis as interim boss, who is set to remain in charge until the break for the World Cup later this month.
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: "Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game, and we are very pleased to have agreed a deal to bring him to Wolves. Since the very beginning, Julen has been our number one choice to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his team when they join us in the coming weeks."
Lopetegui was sacked at Sevilla last month less than a season after signing a contract extension at the club through to the summer of 2024, having delivered tangible successes on the pitch. He is rated highly within the game and made the shortlist of four candidates to take the United post, which eventually went to Ajax coach Erik ten Hag.
Wolves had made several attempts previously to appoint Lopetegui, while their search for a permanent successor for Lage also saw an unsuccessful effort to move for Queen's Park Rangers boss Michael Beale. The club's former boss Nuno Espirito Santo was also under consideration.
The Spaniard’s one major managerial honour was Sevilla’s Europa League success in 2020 – when they defeated both Wolves and Manchester United enroute to their final victory over Inter. Lopetegui previously had managerial stints at FC Porto, the Spanish national team and Real Madrid.
In March, Lopetegui ruled himself out of the running for the Old Trafford post in what appeared to be a show of long-term commitment to Sevilla. However, his situation at the Spanish club unravelled with a long-term slump in results over the calendar year – a run which Sevilla have been unable to halt since Lopetegui was replaced by Jorge Sampaoli last month.
In his debut season at the Andalusian club, the former Spain boss delivered the Europa League title and guided his side to the Champions League for each of his three campaigns at the helm. However, results and performances from the second half of last season unravelled.
At the halfway point of last season’s La Liga, Sevilla were second in the standings and within touching distance of leaders Real Madrid. There was a genuine belief that the club could win just their second ever league title and their first since 1946, with January seeing the arrivals of Jesus ‘Tecatito’ Corona from Porto and forward Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United.
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However, a slump in results saw Sevilla only secure a top four slot on the penultimate weekend of the campaign and the situation deteriorated further this summer. The club’s financial situation saw star players Jules Kounde, Diego Carlos and Lucas Ocampos all depart, with Lopetegui sacked after winning just once in the club’s opening 10 league games this season.
The arrival of Sampaoli in the Andalusian dugout has done little to improve the club’s fortunes – with just five points from his opening five league games and Sevilla entering November in the relegation zone.
