West Ham sack Julen Lopetegui and prepare to appoint ex-Chelsea manager

West Ham have relieved Julen Lopetegui of his duties as head coach after just seven months at the helm.

Lopetegui, 58, took over the reins from David Moyes last May, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract at the London Stadium.

But pressure mounted on Lopetegui as the Hammers won just seven of the Spaniard’s 22 games in charge, with the club languishing down in 14th place in the Premier League table at the halfway stage of the season.

A pair of heavy defeats at the hands of top-of-the-table Liverpool and champions Manchester City proved the final straw for West Ham’s hierarchy, who are closing on a deal for Graham Potter as Lopetegui’s successor.

Lopetegui, formerly the manager of Wolves, Real Madrid and Spain, departs the east London outfit with the team hovering just seven points above the drop zone and 11 points adrift of the top six.

‘West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the club,’ a statement read.

‘The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the club’s ambitions and the club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.

‘The club can confirm that assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect.

‘The board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.

‘The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The club will be making no further comment at this time.’

Talks have been advancing with Potter over the last few days but it appears unlikely the club will have a permanent head coach in place in time for the club’s FA Cup third-round tie with Aston Villa on Friday evening.

There had been some speculation that Moyes could return for a third spell in east London but, according to widespread reports, Graham Potter has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the job.

Potter has been out of a job since his dismissal at Chelsea in April 2023, though was in the running to take charge of the England national side before Thomas Tuchel’s appointment three months ago.

While appearing on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football programme in October, Potter made it clear he was seeking a return to management and stressed that he was ‘open to everything’.

Asked if he would favour a role in club or international football, Potter replied: ‘I’m open to anything, to be honest.

‘I’ve had a fantastic journey over the last 12 years from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the last eight of the Champions League and I would like to spend the next 12 years in the same position, developing players, teams, working with people and making a difference.

‘Wherever that is, I’m open to everything.’

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