Wolves appoint Julen Lopetegui as new head coach

Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as their new manager.

The Premier League outfit have been without a permanent boss since sacking Bruno Lage on October 2, 2022.

Steve Davis took the reins on an interim basis.

Wolves had previously said that Davis would stay in charge until 2023, having failed in their attempts in appoint Lopetegui and Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale.

However, Lopetegui has now performed a U-turn and agreed terms to take charge of the Black Country club, with his reign set to begin at the start of the World Cup break on November 14, 2022.

“Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game, and we are very pleased to have agreed a deal to bring him to Wolves,” chairman Jeff Shi told the club’s official website.

“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.”

Davis will remain in charge of the team for the upcoming games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Arsenal, before Lopetegui takes over when the World Cup break begins.

The 56-year-old’s first game in the Wolves dugout will therefore not be until December 26, 2022 when his new side will take on Everton at Goodison Park.

Lopetegui’s first home match as manager will be against Manchester United on New Year’s Eve.

The Spaniard has taken charge of the likes of Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla during his managerial career, while his playing career saw the former goalkeeper make a handful of appearances for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Lopetegui’s time in charge of Spain came to a premature end just days before the 2018 World Cup in Russia, after news emerged of him having agreed a deal to take over as Real Madrid boss after the tournament.

Lopetegui then lasted less than four months as Real Madrid manager, winning six and losing six of his 14 matches at the helm before being sacked in the wake of a Clasico defeat to Barcelona.

However, he then rebuilt his reputation at Sevilla, where he won 90 and lost just 36 of his 170 games at the helm, helping the club to the 2019-20 Europa League title in the process.

A poor start to this season saw Sevilla sack him last month, with his last game in charge being a heavy home defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Lopetegui will take over a Wolves side sitting 19th in the Premier League table, having amassed just 10 points and scored only six goals in their opening 13 games.