West Ham United confirms Julen Lopetegui as new manager

The initial reports about West Ham replacing David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui have now been confirmed after the Hammers made unveiled the Spanish manager on Thursday.

Julen Lopetegui returns to the Premier League over a year after he surprisingly left Wolves. The former Real Madrid and Sevilla manager, while speaking at his first official press conference as West Ham United manager, stated that there were other opportunities, but he chose the east London club, assuring fans that they would take the club to the next level.

“We had other opportunities, but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too, so we are really happy about this. We came here with the idea and the thought to make a big, big noise. That’s why we came here, and we are excited by this challenge. Of course, we are going to do our best to help the club and the team achieve the best level and achieve our aims. I assure the fans that they are going to be key in all our achievements.” Lopetegui said.

Lopetegui is replacing David Moyes, who spent the last four and a half years as the Hammers’ boss. He’s been a successful manager of youth football for the Spanish youth teams.

He won the UEFA Europa League with Sevilla in 2020, and when he moved to Wolves, they were bottom of the Premier League in November 2022, but he helped the club finish in 13th place before his departure. The 57-year-old has also had a forgettable stint at Real Madrid, all in his 10-year stint in the coaching space.

However, the former Rayo Vallecano player already has the first issue to deal with as West Ham United boss after the Football Association charged Lucas Pacqueta for allegedly getting booked deliberately “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market”.

Meanwhile, the player has stated that he is surprised by the decision, but he has till June 3 to respond to the charges.