Not even a month since his predecessor confirmed his departure, Julen Lopetegui has been officially appointed by the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) as Spain’s new coach.Lopetegui takes the reins of the 2010 world champions after a brief year-and-a-half stint at Porto, where he failed to win any silverware and was subsequently sacked.The RFEF announced the agreement on their website and will be introduced to the media at 18:30 CET on Thursday, July 21, at Las Rozas training centre.
The 49-year-old, a goalkeeper during his playing career, has previously coached Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid Castilla and several Spanish youth national teams.The Under-19 and Under-21 squads both won a European title under his direction, in 2012 and 2013 respectively.The Basque coach beat other candidates such as Joaquin Caparros or Michel Gonzalez. Fan-favourites like Paco Jemez, Marcelino, and Ernesto Valverde were not viable options as they remain under contract with La Liga clubs.
