With Julen Lopetegui close to taking charge of West Ham United, the Portuguese media today features a quite interesting story on him.
As the coach worked at Porto for a couple of years, the local press is still genuinely interested in his career. Radio Renascença features an interview with Elias Israel, former Marca director and now a chief at Sportyou, who knows the manager quite well.
The journalist not only gave some insight into West Ham’s chase, but also revealed interest from Crystal Palace in taking him to Selhurst Park.
Elias Israel first started explaining why so many clubs and players like working with Lopetegui, claiming he’ll get to the top of football in England.
“He’s a natural worker, one of those who turns the lights on and off in the training centre. He’s methodical and plays attacking football. Those who have worked with him, from players to managers, speak very highly of him and that gives you great prestige.
Regarding the West Ham option, which Elias Israel describes as a ‘safe’ opportunity, it’s said it all comes down to the timing. That’s how Crystal Palace’s offer was revealed, with that offer presumably coming before Oliver Glasner was chosen.
“It’s a sensitive issue. He was in a long negotiation with AC Milan and, in between, he had offers from Crystal Palace and a Saudi club that offered him €18m clean.
“Bayern Munich and Manchester United have shown interest, but the timing is very important and those two clubs still depend on how their seasons end. He dreamed of returning to the Premier League, he says it’s a manager’s paradise, and West Ham are a club to build on and he values that a lot. The rest would be unknown.”
Following his departure from Porto in 2016, Lopetegui has managed Spain, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Wolves. He’s been unemployed since August, when he left Molineux due to disagreements with the club’s board.
