Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced that Julen Lopetegui has left his role as manager just days before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Lopetegui joined Wolves midway through the 2022/23 campaign with the club deep in a relegation battle, but he managed to steady the ship and guide them to a 13th-place finish.
But in a refreshingly open statement, Wolves explained that the club and Lopetegui have held extensive talks about their differences recently and have now decided to part ways.
A club statement read: “Wolves and Julen Lopetegui have reached an agreement to part ways, ending the Spaniard’s nine-month reign as head coach at the club.
“Lopetegui joined Wolves in November and successfully guided the club to Premier League safety, however, the head coach and club acknowledged and accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution for all parties.
“Talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, held with the utmost respect and cordiality, affording the club time and space to begin work on finding a successor, while also ensuring that Julen and his backroom staff could continue their planned preparation to ensure the playing squad would be in the best possible condition for the start of the Premier League season.
“Lopetegui arrived with the club bottom of the Premier League, and won nine league games from that point, including against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux, which helped the Old Gold secure a sixth successive top-flight campaign.
“As well as Lopetegui, his backroom team, consisting of Pablo Sanz, Juan Peinado, Oscar Caro, Edu Rubio, Borja De Alba Alonso and Daniel Lopetegui, will all depart the club too.”
Lopetegui himself said: “I wish Wolves and everybody at the club the very best of luck for the future, and thank them for the opportunity granted at the time to take charge of this wonderful club.
“It has been an honour to enjoy this adventure in the day-to-day company of Matt Hobbs, Matt Wild, head of player care Lisa Hollis and every single employee of the club; whom I wish to thank for their support and help at every moment.
“Also, of course, I want to thank the players, who have always given the maximum to achieve our objectives, and especially the fans that made me feel like one of them from the very first moment and have always been amazing to me, my staff and my family.”
90min understands that Wolves have held talks with former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil over the job.
Source: 90min.com
