Football community was shocked on Tuesday by unexpected news - without a head coach for some time now, Madrid's "Real" finally found a new specialist to replace Zinedine Zidane.
It is announced on the official website that the 51-year-old strategist Julen Lopetegui, who is currently preparing with the Spanish national team for the 2018 World Cup, will take over the reins of the UEFA Champions League winners.
J. Lopetegui accepted the offer from "Real" and will leave the national team position after the World Cup. The strategist himself will sign a three-year contract.
The strategist was not even mentioned among the candidates - few thought that he would leave the national team after two years. There were talks in the media about Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Guti, and other candidates.
J. Lopetegui is very familiar with the "Real" team - he played here as a player. His career started with the second Madrid team, later becoming a player of the main team, for only three years.
He also coached the youth team for a season at one point. Later, he gained experience in various Spanish youth national teams. Before becoming the national team coach, he coached the "Porto" team for two years.
In the "Real" team, J. Lopetegui will replace Zinedine Zidane, who managed to create a true dynasty in just 2.5 years - the "Whites" won nine titles and became European champions three times in a row.
