Julen Lopetegui has been dismissed as West Ham manager following the club’s loss to Manchester City on Saturday.
The Spaniard leaves after losing nine of his first 20 Premier League games in charge, with the club occupying 14th place in the Premier League table.
Lopetegui replaced David Moyes in May, signing a two-year deal with The Hammers and being tasked with improving on the ninth-placed finish his predecessor achieved in his final season.
The former Spain and Real Madrid boss guided Sevilla to UEFA Europa League glory in 2020, but failed to plug a leaky defence at West Ham, with his side conceding 39 goals this term, the fourth-worst defensive record in the Premier League.
The crushing defeat to an out-of-form Manchester City side at the Etihad Stadium appears to have been the final straw for the Hammers’ hierarchy.
“West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the club,” read a club statement.
“The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the club’s ambitions and the club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.
“The club can confirm that assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect.
“The board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.
“The process of appointing a replacement is underway.”
The 58-year-old Lopetegui is the fifth manager to lose his job in the Premier League this season after Erik ten Hag’s departure from Manchester United, Steve Cooper’s dismissal from Leicester City, Gary O’Neil’s exit from Wolves and Russell Martin leaving Southampton.
Source:
Eurosport
