After a lackluster 20 Premier League games in charge, West Ham has fired manager Julen Lopetegui.
After a bad run of results that included a 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool and a 4-1 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday, the Spaniard was relieved of his duties.
On Wednesday, January 8, the club announced that the former Real Madrid manager’s tenure in east London was over.
According to West Ham’s statement:
‘The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the Club’s ambitions and the Club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives’
‘The Board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.’
The Hammers have already begun “the process of appointing a replacement” in the interim.
Lopetegui had been under increasing pressure for a while, beginning with a 3-1 defeat to Leicester at the beginning of December.
But a run of four league games without a loss, including victories over Wolves and Southampton, two other struggling teams, seemed to buy Lopetegui some time. During that run, he also traveled home after his father passed away.
However, West Ham was forced to fire him and start looking for a new coach after their losses to Manchester City and Liverpool.
Over the past 48 hours, former Chelsea manager Graham Potter and owner David Sullivan have been in negotiations over Lopetegui’s replacement.
Potter should ideally take the position initially until the end of the season, after which West Ham will reevaluate. It is acknowledged that there is still a problem with the contract’s duration.
Christophe Galtier, the head coach of Al Duhail in Qatar, is reportedly one of the candidates being considered.
The 58-year-old has a wealth of coaching experience in France, having served as the head coach of Lille, Nice, Paris Saint-Germain, and St Etienne.
West Ham is still keeping an eye on Paulo Fonseca. After leaving AC Milan at the end of last year, he is currently unemployed despite having previously come close to joining the team.
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With immediate effect, the Club also confirms the departure of Technical Coach Edu Rubio, Assistant Head Coach Pablo Sanz, Head of Performance Oscar Caro, Head Analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, and Fitness Coach Borja De Alba.
The club claims that Lopetegui was unable to follow instructions and that irate fans were exposed to tactics that lacked a clear goal.
