Real Madrid have officially confirmed that current Spain boss Julen Lopetegui will become their new coach after the conclusion of the World Cup this summer.
The 51-year-old has been in charge of the Spanish national side since 2016 after previous stints through the youth levels, but he’ll now return to club management later this summer.
He’s no stranger to Real Madrid, as he was with the club as a player between 1988 and 1991, while he coached the B team in the 2008/2009 campaign.
As per the club’s official site, they have confirmed that he has signed a three-year deal, as he will now have the tough task of trying to sustain the level of success enjoyed under predecessor Zinedine Zidane, which included three consecutive Champions League triumphs.
While he has undoubtedly impressed as Spain manager given that they are yet to lose under his stewardship, it will be a completely different task on a day-to-day basis in managing big personalties in the Real Madrid dressing room and ensuring he delivers results immediately.
Nevertheless, club president Florentino Perez is evidently confident that he’s the right man for the job, and he’ll be looking for him to break Barcelona’s domestic dominance from last season while also ensuring that they continue to lead the way in Europe.
Firstly for Lopetegui though, he’ll be desperate to sign off with Spain in style as they prepare for the World Cup in Russia. The timing of the announcement is arguably questionable as they are a matter of days away from their opening game against Portugal on Friday night, but his future is now sorted beyond the tournament.
Official Announcement: Julen Lopetegui will be the #RealMadrid coach after the celebration of the 2018 World Cup.https://t.co/QcDiu6UjHV pic.twitter.com/iA1PnUdrtT
— #CHAMP13NS ???? (@realmadriden) June 12, 2018