Real Madrid’s board have sacked Julen Lopetegui as club manager, announcing that he will be “provisionally replaced” by Santiago Solari while they mull over their options.
In a statement on Monday, the club said, “there is a great disproportion between the quality of the staff of Real Madrid and the results obtained to date.”
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With ten league games played, Real sit ninth in the La Liga standings, having just picked up 14 points via four wins, two draws and four defeats.
Real’s embarrassing 5-1 defeat against Barcelona over the weekend was seemingly the final nail in Lopetegui’s coffin, ending his brief spell at the club.
This is Lopetegui’s second sacking in a matter of months, with the Spanish national team relieving him of his position just two days before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, after he angered the Spanish football federation by signing a three-year deal with Real, replacing outgoing coach Zinedine Zidane.
Football fans have reacted to the news of his departure from the Bernabeu, mocking him for being fired again.
It’s unclear who will replace Lopetegui, with ex-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and others being tipped as potential replacements.
However, Belgian star Eden Hazard, who is set to move to Real in the upcoming winter transfer window, has reportedly told the board not to hire Conte.
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