Lopetegui appointed as new Real Madrid manager

CAIRO – 12 June 2018: Real Madrid announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement with current Spain national team manager, Julen Lopetegui, to be the new club manager.

The Spanish manager will lead the European Champions for the next three years.

Lopetegui will succeed the French manager, Zinedine Zidane, who led the club to three consecutive Champions League titles in a row.

The timing of the announcement surprised everyone as Lopetegui prepares to lead Spain national team at their World Cup campaign in Russia.

The former goalkeeper, Lopetegui, joined Real Madrid second team when he was 19 and he joined the first team three years later but he failed to earn a position at the starting line-up to leave the club in 1991.

Lopetegui also represented Barcelona between 1994 and 1997 where he served as the third choice goalkeeper behind Carles Busquets and Vítor Baía.

The former goalkeeper has a better career as a manager with the national team youth rankings, as he led Spain to win the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Lopetegui was appointed Spain national team manager in 2016 and he led the team to the World Cup unbeaten.