Julen Lopetegui was sacked by Spain TWO days before the World Cup to resume the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era at Real Madrid

Julen Lopetegui is no stranger to taking on big managerial duties thanks to his rollercoaster ride with Real Madrid.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will take over as West Ham manager next season, replacing outgoing David Moyes and taking up his first job since leaving Molineux last August.

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The Spaniard will have plenty of eyes to see how he performs at the London Stadium.

Despite his varying popularity with fans, Moyes leaves big boots to fill after guiding the Hammers to Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and being in charge for five years across two spells.

But this is not the first time the pressure has been on Lopetegui in a managerial role.

Let’s go back to 2018 and the former Real Madrid and Barcelona goalkeeper was in charge of his country’s national team.

After two years in the role, Lopetegui guided Spain to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, winning nine and drawing one of their group matches.

But although he arrived in Russia with his team to prepare for the tournament, Lopetegui never reached the shelter of the competition.

La Roja fans had high hopes that their team could win the trophy for a second time after their famous victory in 2010 – but just two days before the tournament, journalists and fans were stunned – as was the Spanish FA.

Real Madrid and then-Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales have confirmed that Lopetegui will take over as Blancos coach following the recent departure of Zinedine Zidane.

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It was originally reported that he would take over at Real Madrid after the World Cup on a three-year deal, allaying initial concerns that he would not manage La Roja in Russia.

In reality, Lopetegui’s tenure as Spain manager ended just a day after the initial bombshell, with Rubiales confirming he had been sacked on the eve of the tournament.

He was replaced by the Spanish sporting director, Fernando Hierro. In the end, La Roja were disappointed, losing 4-3 on penalties to hosts Russia in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, as the world watched the man who suddenly left his country in a precarious position ahead of football’s biggest tournament, Lopetegui threw himself into a difficult job in Madrid.

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He would also soon discover that he was responsible for building the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era.

The Manchester United legend left Real for Juventus that summer, ending his nine years with Real which saw him become the club’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals.

Replacing Zidane – who won three Champions Leagues and a La Liga title during his first tenure there – and filling a fairly large hole in the shape of Ronaldo were two huge demands for Lopetegui.

The fact that Karim Benzema became Real’s top scorer ultimately didn’t save him either.

His tenure began with a 4-2 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.

This made him only the second Real manager to begin his tenure by conceding four goals after former Southampton and Fulham full-back Michael Keeping in 1948.

A run of poor results followed, with a 5-1 defeat to Clasico opponents Barcelona being the final nail in the coffin.

On 29 October, Lopetegui was sacked and replaced by Santiago Solari before Zidane’s return in March.

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But he was soon recaptured.

Sevilla arrived the following June, with Lopetegui winning the Europa League the following campaign.

Then Wolves, who were interested in him before he took the Spain job, brought him to Molineux in November 2022.

Now, a year after his dismissal from Wolves, he returns to the Premier League with a new era to navigate.