Spain manager Lopetegui to take over in Real Madrid after World Cup

Julen Lopetegui is slated to replace Zinedine Zidane, who resigned as manager of Real Madrid. /Uefa Champions League Twitter/

By Vivem Soriano
Eagle News Service

Spanish giant and recently-crowned European champions Real Madrid has announced that current Spain national team manager Julen Lopetegui will be the new manager of the capital club after the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Lopetegui will be replacing legendary France midfielder Zinedine Zidane as Madrid’s manager after the latter suddenly resigned just days after guiding the club to a historic third straight Champions league crown.

Lopetegui has been managing the Spanish national team since 2016, replacing Vicente Del Bosque who was set to retire after Euro 2016.

Since taking over La Roja, the 2010 World Cup winners and 2008 and 2012 European champions have never tasted defeat, making them one of the favorites to win the World Cup in Russia which starts tomorrow.

The new Real Madrid manager once played for the club as a goalkeeper from 1988-1991.

His first head managerial role was with Spanish club Rayo Vallecano in 2003 but he was sacked midway through the season after a string of poor performances by the team.

He then took a commentator job before returning to the sidelines as manager of Real Madrid Castilla from 2008 to 2009.

From 2010 to 2014, he worked on several Spain national youth teams, winning a couple of European titles before returning to club duties once more when he was appointed manager of Portuguese club Porto.