kids encyclopedia robot

Julen Lopetegui facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Julen Lopetegui
Julen Lopetegui 2017 (cropped).jpg
Lopetegui as Spain manager in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-08-28) 28 August 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth Asteasu, Spain
Height 1.85 m
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
0000 Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1988 Castilla 61 (0)
1988–1991 Real Madrid 1 (0)
1988–1989 Las Palmas (loan) 31 (0)
1991–1994 Logroñés 107 (0)
1994–1997 Barcelona 5 (0)
1997–2002 Rayo Vallecano 112 (0)
Total 317 (0)
National team
1985 Spain U21 1 (0)
1994 Spain 1 (0)
1993–2000 Basque Country 3 (0)
Teams managed
2003 Rayo Vallecano
2008–2009 Real Madrid B
2010–2013 Spain U19
2010–2014 Spain U20
2012–2014 Spain U21
2014–2016 Porto
2016–2018 Spain
2018 Real Madrid
2019–2022 Sevilla
2022–2023 Wolverhampton Wanderers
2024–2025 West Ham United
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Spain (as player)
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Runner-up 1985
Representing  Spain (as manager)
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner 2012
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner 2013
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Julen Lopetegui Argote (born 28 August 1966) is a Spanish professional football manager and former footballer. He was a goalkeeper during his playing career.

He played in 149 La Liga matches over nine seasons. He represented famous clubs like Real Madrid, Logroñés, Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano. He also played 168 games in the Segunda División. Lopetegui played one game for the Spanish national team. He was part of the squad for the 1994 World Cup.

Lopetegui started coaching in 2003. He spent several years leading Spain's youth teams. He helped the under-19 and under-21 teams win European titles. He also coached the senior national team for two years. However, he was let go before the 2018 World Cup. This happened after he agreed to join Real Madrid after the tournament.

In club football, he has managed many teams. These include Rayo Vallecano, Castilla, Porto, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. He won the 2020 Europa League with Sevilla.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Out in Spain

Julen Lopetegui was born in Asteasu, Gipuzkoa, Spain. He began his professional football journey at his local club, Real Sociedad. In 1985, when he was 19, he joined Real Madrid. He played for their B team, Castilla.

After a loan period at Las Palmas, Lopetegui returned to Real Madrid. He found it hard to become the main goalkeeper. The famous Francisco Buyo was already there. Lopetegui only played one La Liga game for Real Madrid. This was a 3–3 draw against Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid had already won the league that season.

Moving to Other Clubs

After Real Madrid, he joined Logroñés. He was a key player there. He helped the club stay in the top league, La Liga.

In 1994, Lopetegui moved to Barcelona. He competed for the starting spot with Carles Busquets. Later, Barcelona bought Vítor Baía. This made Lopetegui the third-choice goalkeeper. In 1997, he returned to Madrid to play for Segunda División club Rayo Vallecano.

Lopetegui was the main goalkeeper for Rayo Vallecano for two seasons. They won promotion to the top league in 1999. He then lost his starting spot to other goalkeepers. He played 36 top-flight games for Rayo from 1999 to 2002. He also played in the UEFA Cup, helping Rayo reach the quarter-finals. He retired from playing at age 36.

International Appearances

Lopetegui's good performances at Logroñés earned him a chance to play for Spain. He played his only game for Spain on 23 March 1994. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Croatia. He was then chosen for Spain's squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Coaching Career Journey

Early Coaching Roles

Lopetegui started his coaching career as an assistant. He helped the Spain U17 coach in 2003. After that, he became the head coach of Rayo Vallecano. The team was in the second division. However, he was let go after only ten matches.

After coaching Rayo, he worked as a sports commentator. He then returned to coaching in 2008. He managed Real Madrid B, the team he played for earlier.

From 2010 to 2014, Lopetegui worked with Spain's youth teams. He had great success there. He led the Under-19 team to win the European Championship in 2012. He also led the Under-21 team to win their European Championship in 2013. He left the Spanish Football Federation in 2014 when his contract ended.

Managing FC Porto

Julen Lopetegui
Lopetegui coaching Porto in September 2014

On 6 May 2014, Lopetegui became the manager of Porto in Portugal. He brought seven Spanish players to the club that summer.

In his first season at Porto, the club had its biggest budget ever. Lopetegui led them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. However, they lost 6–1 to Bayern Munich. This was one of Porto's biggest defeats in European games. He did not win any trophies with Porto.

On 8 January 2016, Lopetegui was removed from his job. Porto had been eliminated from the Champions League. They were also third in the domestic league.

Coaching the Spanish National Team

On 21 July 2016, Lopetegui became the new manager of the Spain national team. This happened after Vicente del Bosque retired. In his first game, Spain won 2–0 against Belgium. Spain qualified for the 2018 World Cup. They won nine and drew one of their group matches.

On 12 June 2018, while the team was in Russia for the World Cup, it was announced that Lopetegui would join Real Madrid after the tournament. The next day, he was dismissed from his job with the national team. Fernando Hierro took over as manager.

Time at Real Madrid

Lopetegui's first official game as Real Madrid manager was on 15 August 2018. They lost 4–2 to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. This made him only the second Real Madrid manager to start by giving up four goals.

After a series of poor results, including a 5–1 loss to Barcelona in El Clásico, Lopetegui was fired on 29 October 2018. Santiago Solari replaced him.

Success with Sevilla

On 5 June 2019, Lopetegui became the new manager of Sevilla. In his first year, Sevilla finished fourth in the league. This meant they qualified for the Champions League. On 21 August, Sevilla defeated Inter Milan 3–2 in the 2020 UEFA Europa League final. This was Lopetegui's first major club trophy.

He signed a contract extension with Sevilla in January 2021. However, on 5 October 2022, he was dismissed. This followed five losses in eight matches in the new season.

Managing Wolverhampton Wanderers

After leaving Sevilla, Lopetegui was offered the manager job at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He first turned it down due to his father's health. But he was approached again and accepted. On 5 November 2022, it was announced he would start on 14 November.

In his first game on 20 December, his team won 2–0 against Gillingham in the EFL Cup. This put them into the quarter-finals. Six days later, in his first Premier League game, Wolves won 2–1 against Everton. He was the first Wolves manager since 1978 to win his first top-flight match.

Lopetegui led Wolves to finish 13th place in the league. In May 2023, there were talks about him leaving. This was due to the club's financial situation. He had wanted new players, but learned about the money limits later. Because of these disagreements, he left the club by agreement on 8 August.

Time at West Ham United

On 23 May 2024, Lopetegui stayed in the English top league. He became the new head coach of West Ham United. He signed a two-year contract. In his first game on 17 August, West Ham lost 2–1 at home to Aston Villa. They broke a league record for most opening day losses. He got his first win a week later, 2–0 against Crystal Palace.

In January 2025, West Ham was reportedly thinking about firing Lopetegui. This followed big losses to Liverpool and Manchester City. He was relieved of his duties on 8 January. The team was in 14th position at the time.

Managerial Style

Monchi, a sporting director who worked with Lopetegui at Sevilla, praised him. He said Lopetegui has three important qualities for a coach:

  • He is very professional.
  • He is competitive.
  • He is good at managing a team.

Monchi also said that Lopetegui understands what big clubs need. He works well with the club's goals. He is demanding but always for the good of the team.

Managerial Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Rayo Vallecano 1 July 2003 3 November 2003 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 −7 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.18000018.18
Real Madrid B 1 July 2008 30 June 2009 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&060.&&&&&060 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045 +15 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.37000047.37
Spain U19-U20-U21 1 August 2010 30 April 2014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&0131.&&&&&0131 &&&&&&&&&&&&&048.&&&&&048 +83 &&&&&&&&&&&&&084.44000084.44
Porto 1 July 2014 7 January 2016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&078.&&&&&078 &&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&0159.&&&&&0159 &&&&&&&&&&&&&054.&&&&&054 +105 &&&&&&&&&&&&&067.95000067.95
Spain 21 July 2016 13 June 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&061.&&&&&061 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 +48 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070.00
Real Madrid 1 July 2018 29 October 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 +1 &&&&&&&&&&&&&042.86000042.86
Sevilla 5 June 2019 5 October 2022 &&&&&&&&&&&&0170.&&&&&0170 &&&&&&&&&&&&&090.&&&&&090 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044 &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036 &&&&&&&&&&&&0247.&&&&&0247 &&&&&&&&&&&&0163.&&&&&0163 +84 &&&&&&&&&&&&&052.94000052.94
Wolverhampton Wanderers 14 November 2022 8 August 2023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 −10 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&4000037.04
West Ham United 1 July 2024 8 January 2025 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044 −18 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.82000031.82
Career total &&&&&&&&&&&&0425.&&&&&0425 &&&&&&&&&&&&0237.&&&&&0237 &&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094 &&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094 &&&&&&&&&&&&0739.&&&&&0739 &&&&&&&&&&&&0439.&&&&&0439 +300 &&&&&&&&&&&&&055.76000055.76

Trophies and Achievements

As a Player

Real Madrid

  • La Liga: 1989–90 (Spanish League Champion)

Barcelona

Spain U20

As a Manager

Sevilla

Spain U19

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2012 (European Champion)

Spain U21

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Julen Lopetegui para niños

kids search engine
Julen Lopetegui Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.