Wolves finally name Julen Lopetegui as Bruno Lage’s replacement after he turned her down twice… but his first game in charge won’t come until AFTER the World Cup as he waits for a work permit
Wolves have confirmed the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as their new coach
The former coach of Real Madrid and Seville will take charge of the Molineux team
The Spaniard has twice snubbed his progression, first in 2016 and last month
By Jacob Ranson for Mailonline
Posted: 09:10, November 5, 2022 | Updated at 9:44 am, November 5, 2022
Wolves have finally named Julen Lopetegui as their new manager after being snubbed twice by the Spaniard in the past.
The 56-year-old, who has been in charge of some of Europe’s elite clubs including Real Madrid, Sevilla and Porto, will take over on November 14 while awaiting his work permit.
Lopetegui, who led Sevilla to the Europa League in 2020 and beat Wolves in the quarter-finals, will likely have to wait until after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for his first game in charge.
Wolves have appointed former Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui (pictured) as their new manager
His appointment comes a month after the Midlands outfit decided to sack Bruno Lage after a dismal start to the Premier League season.
Lopetegui was initially offered the opportunity to succeed Lage after being sacked by Sevilla, but turned it down at the time, mainly for family reasons.
It is not the first time that Lopetegui has turned his back on Wolves, as he also turned his back on Wolves in 2016, instead accepting a proposal to coach Spain.
Bruno Lage was fired by Wolves more than a month ago after a miserable start to the campaign.
However, Wolves finally have their man who was sacked by Sevilla earlier this season after a three-year tenure following a Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Chairman Jeff Shi said: “Julen is a top manager with excellent experience in the highest level of football and we are delighted to have reached a deal that brings him to Wolves.
“From the beginning, Julen has been our first choice to manage Wolves and we look forward to welcoming him and his team back in the coming weeks.”
His first game in charge is expected to be played at Everton on Boxing Day after the World Cup break, giving him time to assess the club’s squad.
Wolves had recently announced that Under-18 boss and caretaker Steve Davis would remain in charge until 2023, but that has changed now after his man landed.
Caretaker Steve Davis (pictured) was expected to remain in the role until 2023
They have lost three of their last five games with Davis, leaving them second from bottom in the Premier League and two points behind 17th-place Southampton.
Wolves take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this afternoon as they look to turn their fortunes around.
