West Ham Announce Julen Lopetegui as New Manager
The former Real Madrid coach, among others, will lead the "Hammers" in what will be his second venture in the Premier League.
Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui has been announced as the new manager of West Ham United this Thursday, marking his second stint in the Premier League after saving Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2022-2023 season.
The Spanish coach, who has been out of work since leaving Wolves on his own initiative last summer, replaces David Moyes at the East London club. Moyes had been in charge for five years, securing European qualification for the Hammers three years in a row and leading them to a Conference League victory.
Lopetegui has signed a two-year contract with an option for a third, potentially extending his tenure until 2026 or 2027.
"I think we have a fantastic platform. I believe the last few years have been very good for building this foundation, but my ambition as a coach is always to improve and achieve greater goals, enhance the players and the team, and compete, because football is about competition," Lopetegui told West Ham TV.
"I am where I want to be (...). We had other options, but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I also chose West Ham," he added.
Since his departure from Wolves, driven by the club's lack of investment and the sale of key players, Lopetegui's intention has always been to remain in the Premier League. He held talks with Nottingham Forest before they appointed Nuno Espirito Santo.
For Tim Steidten, the club's technical director, Lopetegui was an "outstanding candidate" as he is a coach who "lives and breathes football."
"His career shows that wherever he has coached, he has improved players and the team (...). He has a lot of experience in the way we will now work at West Ham United, and I look forward to working with him to create a successful future," Steidten added.
Meanwhile, the club's president, David Sullivan, welcomed Lopetegui and expressed his confidence that his arrival would "build on the positive progress made in recent campaigns" to help the club "align" with the board's ambitions.
With experience in the Spanish national team youth categories, Porto, Sevilla—where he won a Europa League—Real Madrid, and the Spanish national team, Lopetegui will take over a West Ham team with European aspirations. Although they will not compete in continental tournaments next season, there is a need to implement a playing style that moves away from Moyes's conservatism, which has frustrated fans and resulted in heavy defeats like the 0-6 loss to Arsenal at the London Stadium this season.
Lopetegui's appointment had been agreed upon several weeks ago but was not made official until after the Premier League season ended to respect Moyes's departure.
With Lopetegui's arrival in the Premier League, there are now five Spanish managers in the competition: Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, and Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
Lopetegui will also become the first Spanish manager to lead West Ham.
