Coach Lopetegui leaves Wolves — days before start of EPL season

Wolverhampton Wanderers, English Premier League (EPL) club, have parted ways with Julen Lopetegui, their Spanish coach.

The West Midlands club announced the former Real Madrid coach’s exit in a statement on Tuesday evening — barely three days to the start of the 2023/2024 EPL season.

“Wolves and Julen Lopetegui have reached an agreement to part ways, ending the Spaniard’s nine-month reign as head coach at the club,” the statement reads.

According to the club, “differences of opinion on certain issues” was a deciding factor for both the club and coaching crew to part ways.

“Talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, held with the utmost respect and cordiality, affording the club time and space to begin work on finding a successor, while also ensuring that Julen and his backroom staff could continue their planned preparation to ensure the playing squad would be in the best possible condition for the start of the Premier League season,” it added.

“As well as Lopetegui, his backroom team, consisting of Pablo Sanz, Juan Peinado, Oscar Caro, Edu Rubio, Borja De Alba Alonso and Daniel Lopetegui, will all depart the club too.”

Lopetegui spent less than nine months at Wolves prior to his recent departure.

“I wish Wolves and everybody at the club the very best of luck for the future, and thank them for the opportunity granted at the time to take charge of this wonderful club,” the Spaniard said.

“It has been an honour to enjoy this adventure in the day-to-day company of Matt Hobbs, Matt Wild, head of player care Lisa Hollis and every single employee of the club; whom I wish to thank for their support and help at every moment.

“Also, of course, I want to thank the players, who have always given the maximum to achieve our objectives, and especially the fans that made me feel like one of them from the very first moment and have always been amazing to me, my staff and my family.”

Lopetegui joined Wolves in November 2022 and successfully guided the club to Premier League safety.

He had, however, criticised the club’s lack of spending during this summer’s window.