West Ham United have made a bold move by appointing Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach. Lopetegui, former head coach of Real Madrid and Spain, will officially take the reins on July 1st. This comes after West Ham finished the 2023/24 season in ninth place with 52 points.
Lopetegui expressed his excitement in an interview with West Ham TV. “I feel very happy to be part of the future of this big club,” he said. “We will try to put our stamp on the club. We have a fantastic platform, and my ambition is always to be better, achieve more, and improve the players and the team. Football is about competing, and we are very ambitious about this.”
He continued, “I am here because I want to be here. We had other opportunities, but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too. We are excited by this challenge and will do our best to help the club and the team achieve our aims. The fans will be key in all our achievements.”
Technical director Tim Steitden praised Lopetegui’s football acumen, stating, “Julen lives and breathes football. He is tactically astute and has shown he can adapt to different leagues and countries. I look forward to working with him to grow a successful future for the club.”
This will be Lopetegui’s second stint in the Premier League. He previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers from November 2022 to August 2023, guiding them from the bottom of the table to a 13th-place finish. His impressive resume also includes leading Sevilla to a Europa League victory and stints with Porto, Real Madrid, and the Spanish national team.
Lopetegui will be joined by assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head of analysis Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba, and technical coach Edu Rubio. Xavi Valero will continue as the goalkeeper coach.
West Ham fans can look forward to seeing Lopetegui in action when pre-season training begins in early July. The team will travel to the USA for pre-season matches, including a clash with his former club Wolves and a match against London rivals Crystal Palace.
The appointment of Lopetegui signals West Ham’s ambition to rise in the Premier League ranks and compete at the highest levels. With his track record and the support of the club, the future looks promising for the Hammers.
