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Wolves finally appoint Julen Lopetegui to replace Bruno Lage after he rejected them twice…
- Wolves have confirmed Julen Lopetegui’s appointment as their new manager
- Former Real Madrid and Sevilla boss to take charge of Molineux
- The Spaniard has rejected their advances twice, first in 2016 and last month
Wolves have finally appointed Julen Lopetegui as their new manager, having been rejected 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 charge on November 14 pending his work permit.
Lopetegui, who led Sevilla to the Europa League in 2020 and beat Wolves in the last eight, will most likely have to wait until after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for his first game in charge.
Wolves have appointed former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui (pictured) as their new manager
The Midlands outfit confirmed news of Lopetegui .’s appointment earlier this morning
His first game in charge is expected to be to Everton on Boxing Day after the World Cup break, giving him time to judge the club’s squad.
Lopetegui’s appointment comes a month after the Midlands club decided to sack Bruno Lage after a miserable start to the new Premier League season.
He was initially offered the chance to succeed Lage after he was sacked by Sevilla, but chose to turn it down at the time, largely for family reasons.
Bruno Lage was fired by Wolves over a month ago after a miserable start to the campaign
It is not the first time Lopetegui has turned down Wolves, having also turned his back on Wolves in 2016, but instead accepted a proposal to coach Spain.
However, Wolves now finally have their man, who was sacked by Sevilla earlier this season after being in charge for three years following a Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Chairman Jeff Shi said: “Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at the highest level of the game, and we are very pleased to have struck a deal to bring him to Wolves.
“Since the very beginning, Julen has been our number one choice to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his team when they join us in the coming weeks.”
Wolves had recently announced that Steve Davis, boss and agent under 18, would remain in charge until 2023, but that has now changed after they landed their man.
Caretaker manager Steve Davis (pictured) expected to be in charge until 2023
they lost three of their last five games under Davis, putting them second from bottom in the Premier League, and two points behind Southampton in 17th place.
Wolves take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this afternoon as they try to turn their fortunes around.
They will then face Leeds United in the Carabao Cup and at home against Arsenal before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar.