Real Madrid will reportedly sack manager Julen Lopetegui later today after the team’s 5-1 defeat in El Clasico against Barcelona.
The Spanish giants were utterly humiliated by their Catalan rivals in today’s La Liga clash at the Nou Camp, with Luis Suarez scoring a hat-trick in a hugely one-sided contest.
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This follows a generally poor run of form for Madrid under Lopetegui this season, with the team winning just once in their last seven matches in all competitions.
This will now surely be the last straw for Real president Florentino Perez, with Calciomercato suggesting a decision has already been made and things could be made official later today.
The Italian outlet cites commentary during the game, with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte thought to be the man chosen to replace Lopetegui.
It’s been a dismal few months for the Spaniard, who was also sacked as national team boss on the eve of the World Cup when it emerged he had already agreed to replace Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.
A humbling in El Clasico now looks to have sealed Lopetegui’s fate, with Conte available since leaving Chelsea in the summer.
The Italian tactician shone in his first season at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League title, though his team’s form nose-dived the following year as they slumped to fifth in the table.
That said, Conte still showed a ruthless winning streak as he still managed to lead Chelsea to an FA Cup final win over Manchester United in May.