West Ham have sacked Julen Lopetegui after just six months in charge.
A statement read: “West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the Club. 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 Club will be making no further comment at this time.”
The Hammers were thrashed away at Manchester City over the weekend, despite the fact Pep Guardiola’s side have been going through a tough period themselves. And that followed a crushing 5-0 defeat at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool.
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
West Ham have now fallen to 14th, seven points above the relegation zone that is currently inhabited by Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton. And after months of speculation that Lopetegui could lose his job, the 58-year-old has finally got the boot – with former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter expected to be named as his replacement.
The Spanish coach joined the Hammers over the summer, as a replacement for the club’s most successful manager in decades, Europa Conference League winner David Moyes. However, the former Real Madrid and Spain boss soon came under pressure for his playing style and the team’s poor form, with just six wins coming from 20 league games.
Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to City was the final straw. West Ham legend Tony Cottee slammed the club earlier this week for making the wrong appointment when speaking to talkSPORT: “They should hang their heads in shame.
“Tim Steidten, the board, it’s a pathetic appointment in the first place and I can’t believe what they do at times. West Ham is my club but it was just so the wrong appointment.
“Yes you can blame Lopetegui… But Tim Steidten is the director of football, David Sullivan is in charge of the club. They’ve got to take responsibility, they can’t keep making these stupid mistakes.
“If you get rid of one of West Ham’s most successful managers in terms of trophies then you’ve got to make the right appointment.”
(Image: PA Wire)
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Lopetegui is said to have fallen out with Steidten, who wanted to hire Potter in the summer. Steidten has been staying away from the training ground at a time where his own position is under scrutiny.
He oversaw a £130million spending spree in the summer, bringing in nine players. That included Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, who has struggled, and Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville. Wolves captain Max Kilman also joined in a £40million move, but his signature came on the demand of Lopetegui, who had previously worked with him at Molineux.
Potter, 49, has been out of management for 20 months after he was sacked by Chelsea, just seven months into a five-year contract. He began his managerial career at Swedish club Ostersund and successful spells with Swansea and Brighton prompted Chelsea to appoint him to replace Thomas Tuchel in September 2022.
But Potter won just 12 of his 31 matches in charge and he was shown the door in April 2023. Assuming the remaining negotiations are completed, Potter will be unveiled as Hammers boss on Thursday.