West Ham United Appoints Julen Lopetegui As New Head Coach

Oluwasegun SanusiMay 23, 20242 Mins read1.2k

West Ham United has announced the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as its new head coach, succeeding David Moyes.

The 57-year-old Spaniard, who previously managed Wolves, has signed a two-year contract with the Hammers, with an option for a third year. Lopetegui will officially resume his role on July 1, ahead of the team’s pre-season preparations.

Lopetegui expressed his excitement about joining West Ham, saying, “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.”

West Ham confirmed earlier this month that David Moyes would leave the club at the end of the season. Moyes, who was in his second spell with the club since December 2019, led the team to victory in the Europa Conference League in 2023.

However, a disappointing run of results saw the Hammers finish ninth in the Premier League, missing out on a fourth consecutive season in European competition.

Lopetegui, a former coach for Spain and Real Madrid, brings a wealth of experience to the London club. He previously won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 and managed Wolves from November 2022. He took them from the bottom of the Premier League to a 13th-place finish before resigning due to frustrations with the club’s financial situation.

West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, praised Lopetegui’s football acumen.

“Julen lives and breathes football, he thinks deeply about the game, he is tactically astute and he has shown he can adapt to work in different leagues, in different countries, with national teams, and in each situation he has shown his outstanding qualities.”

Lopetegui, a former goalkeeper who played for Real Madrid and Barcelona and earned one cap for Spain, is set to lead the team on a two-week pre-season tour in the United States. The team will face Crystal Palace and Wolves.

“My ambition as a coach is always to be better and better, to achieve more and bigger aims and to encourage and improve the players, the team, and to compete because football is about this – to compete,” Lopetegui added.

The club’s joint chairman, David Sullivan, expressed confidence in Lopetegui’s appointment.

Source: BBC Sports. Visit www.westafricaweekly.com for more sports news.