Lopetegui to take over at Real Madrid after World Cup

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Real Madrid have confirmed that Spain coach Julen Lopetegui will replace Zinedine Zidane at the club.

The current Spanish national team coach will oversee the side’s participation at the World Cup in Russia before taking charge at the European champions.

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Lopetegui guided Spain through qualification to the World Cup finals and had agreed on a new contract up until Euro 2022 just last May.

‘Julen Lopetegui will be the Real Madrid coach after the celebration of the 2018 World Cup. Julen Lopetegui will be the coach of the first team during the next three seasons,’ read a club statement.


Despite not featuring on any potential replacement lists speculated by the media, Madrid announced that the Basque tactician will leave his position with the national team after agreeing to a three-year contract with the La Liga giants just three days before Spain’s World Cup opener against Portugal in Sochi.

READ MORE: La Liga strength a boost for Spain – Lopetegui

The Spaniard has had a relatively short management career having only managed FC Porto, a number of Spanish youth teams and lower league teams in Spain, before taking over from Vicente Del Bosque as Spain manager.

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Lopetegui will have the unenviable task of replacing a manager who led Los Blancos to three successive Champions League titles and will have to oversee a possible transition at the Santiago Bernabeu with Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly looking to leave the club.

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Dean Workman