The Spanish Football Federation have confirmed they have sacked Julen Lopetegui as manager just two days before their World Cup opener against Portugal.
Real Madrid revealed on Tuesday in a shock statement that Lopetegui would succeed Zinedine Zidane after the 2018 World Cup, which was only made aware to the Spanish FA five minutes before the announcement.
Lopetegui hoped to keep news of the deal under wraps until after the World Cup, but reportedly forced Madrid into breaking the news after a non-Madrid player in the Spain squad caught wind of the switch.
The 51-year-old only signed a new contract extension last month to continue as Spain head coach until Euro 202, but Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales, has confirmed his departure as national team boss.
“We have to decided to fire the national coach,” The Guardian quote Rubiales as saying in a press conference on Wednesday. “What we have achieved in getting here is due in great part to him, and we must thank him and wish him luck.
“The Spanish national team is the team of all Spaniard. We only found out just five minutes before that he was leaving for Madrid.
“There is a way that you must act, Julen has worked in a great way with the team, but we cannot accept how he has acted in this case.”
Julen Lopetegui: Never lost a match as Spain head coach, winning 14 and drawing 6 of the 20 matches he oversaw pic.twitter.com/FI1xq2Eeo8
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) June 13, 2018
It remains to be seen who will oversee Spain’s World Cup campaign, but they face a race against time to make an appointment, as they play Portugal in their first group game in two days.
Spain sporting director and former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro is in the frame to step in, while Spain Under-21 coach Albert Celades is also under consideration.
Lopetegui replaced Vicente del Bosque after Euro 2016 and finishes his time in charge of the national team unbeaten, winning 14 of his 20 matches.
