Lopetegui – “Relationship with players was brilliant!”

With West Ham’s head coach being scrutinised daily by both fans and the media, I covered his career in a previous article in Claret and Hugh but thought it worth revisiting how he was perceived in some of his previous roles.

Speaking on the football show Off the Ball, Spanish football writer Richard Fitzpatrick made an interesting observation about Julen Lopetegui’s time at Real Madrid:

“Lopetegui was a weak character. He got off to a bad start because of the situation he found himself in with the club president, Florentino Perez, who bullied him into making the announcement that he was joining Madrid. He was also seen as a weak character by the players. In an effort to blood new players, he was upsetting and unsettling some of the senior players in the squad. He just didn’t carry that weight or personality needed at a club like Real Madrid.”

Compared to his predecessor Zinedine Zidane, Fitzpatrick went on to say he believed it was Zidane’s ruthlessness that earned him the respect of the players—something Lopetegui didn’t possess.

This contrasts with Marc Muniesa, who played under Lopetegui in Spain’s U-21 team. In 2023, Muniesa spoke to Birmingham Live about his experience:

“As a coach, he is excellent. He is a very intelligent coach who likes to work on tactics. He is intense—very intense. I think for most games, he will try to have possession. But English football is different—he will need to adapt to this game. He was very close to the players. His relationship with the players was brilliant.”

Lopetegui impressed with Spain

The Spanish national squad similarly thought highly of Lopetegui, even pleading with the Spanish Football Federation to save his job when it was announced on the eve of the World Cup that he was being sacked for taking the Real Madrid role. Their rallying around him was no surprise, given the team had been unbeaten for two years.

At his last managerial post with Wolves, The Athletic reported that Lopetegui generally got along well with players, most of whom liked him and were disappointed to see him leave. While he could be “prickly,” an “alpha male,” and even “blunt and forthright,” people respected him, including the players. Interviews from when he first joined Wolves were full of praise, and the positivity carried through to the end of the season.

Fast forward to 2024, and all is not well. Many pundits suggest he has lost the dressing room, with claims that the players aren’t performing for him and that the club lacks a leader.

Interestingly, the West Ham head coach has a personal website, www.julenlopetegui.com, offering insights into his coaching philosophy.

He states:

“Players are the main protagonists. If they are not emotionally balanced or do not have the peace of mind to foster all their skills, they will not be able to reach their potential, and my team will be worse off.”

A more telling comment highlights an area he has struggled with during his time at West Ham:

“You have to feel the players believe in your goals and receive feedback that the players are motivated and committed.”

In a recent interview with The Times, Lopetegui went a step further, stating that the players he has don’t fit his style. However, he boldly concluded, “Step by step, we are going to make this.”

Former West Ham manager David Moyes echoed this sentiment several weeks ago, expressing that the manager needs time and the players must step up and show what they’re capable of.

With crucial games against Newcastle United and Arsenal approaching, and the clock ticking, West Ham fans can only hope that Lopetegui’s confidence proves justified.