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West Ham confirm departure of manager Julen Lopetegui
West Ham United have announced the departure of manager Julen Lopetegui after a challenging six-month tenure.
Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes during the summer as a high-profile hire, managed only seven wins in 22 matches. Despite his experience as a former Spain and Real Madrid manager, Lopetegui struggled to turn West Ham’s fortunes around.
His position first came under scrutiny in early December following a poor start to the season. While a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers briefly eased pressure, the team managed just one additional win—against bottom-placed Southampton—before a string of heavy defeats, including 5-0 and 4-1 losses to Liverpool and Manchester City, sealed his fate.
In a statement, the club said:
“West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the Club.
“The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the Club’s ambitions, and the Club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.
“The Club can confirm that Assistant Head Coach Pablo Sanz, Head of Performance Oscar Caro, Head Analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, Fitness Coach Borja De Alba, and Technical Coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect.
“The Board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.”
Reports suggest that former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter is expected to replace Lopetegui. If appointed quickly, Potter could take charge for West Ham’s upcoming FA Cup clash with Aston Villa on Friday.