Julen Lopetegui has spoken out once again, loud and clear, about one of the most controversial episodes of his career: his dismissal from the Spanish national team just two days before the start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In an interview with the newspaper AS, the Basque coach recalled that moment with complete honesty.
The current manager does not hide the pain of that period, describing the events surrounding his departure as “very ugly things”. However, Lopetegui insists that he holds no grudge and has “no thorn in his side” with today’s football.
That 2018 dressing room combined experience and young talent, and the coach remembers that they arrived at the World Cup “extremely sharp”. Despite the abrupt split, the manager prefers to focus on the present and look to the future with optimism.
Payback in Qatar
For Lopetegui, football always offers second chances and new professional challenges. After overcoming the initial criticism of the stage that followed, the coaching staff feels strong, with their enthusiasm intact and ready for the challenges ahead.
Finally, the coach compared the difficulty of today’s World Cup qualification campaigns, highlighting how hard it is to remain among the elite and recalling, as an example, the recent high-profile absences of the Italian national team.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
