Wolves are anticipated to hold talks with Julen Lopetegui this weekend, following his sacking as Sevilla head coach.
Lopetegui was dismissed by the Spanish club final evening following a four-1 household defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
He had turn into Wolves’ preferred candidate to replace Bruno Lage prior to this outcome having said that, and regardless of just one particular win so far this season leaving Sevilla 17th in La Liga.
Lage himself was sacked by Wolves soon after a two- defeat at West Ham final weekend left them 18th in the Premier League.
Lopetegui, who has been replaced by former Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla, is understood to be represented by Jorge Mendes – a close associate of the Wolves ownership who also represents a quantity of the club’s players.
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Bruno Lage was sacked soon after defeat at West Ham
There are other names on Wolves’ list of candidates but Lopetegui is understood to prime the list and be the initially to hold talks with the Midlands club.
The 56-year-old faced the media shortly soon after getting informed of his fate by Sevilla.
“I have a lot of mixed feelings. It really is challenging to describe them,” he stated in his post-match press conference.
“The initially issue that comes to my head and my heart is gratitude towards my club, the city, the team’s fans, my players – and everyone else who functions for Sevilla.
“We’ve lived by means of extremely good items with each other and then there is the other sentiment of sadness for leaving a club I appreciate, and I am positive I will get more than this scenario. These are my feelings.”
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Portuguese football professional Pedro Sepulveda believes agent Jorge Mendes desires to ‘continue the Portuguese era’ at Wolves following the sacking of Bruno Lage
Wolves have scored only 3 league targets so far in 2022/23 – regardless of registering 97 shots – and sit 18th in the Premier League table.
Having said that, the club are not in a hurry to appoint a successor to Lage, with coaches Steve Davis and James Collins set to take charge of Saturday’s game at Chelsea.
Lopetegui had been in charge at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan due to the fact June 2019, but was increasingly below stress with Sevilla obtaining won just when in eight league games.
He was linked with the job at Molineux back in 2016, but became manager of the Spanish national group, with whom he spent the very best portion of the subsequent two years prior to an ill-fated 14-match spell in charge at Genuine Madrid.
Sevilla appoint Sampaoli for a second time
Sevilla have named Argentine Sampaoli as their new head coach on a contract till June 2024.
It will be Sampaoli’s second stint with the record six-occasions Europa League winners, who have suffered a poor start out to the season, obtaining won only one particular match in all competitions.
They are 17th in La Liga on 5 points, a location and a point above the relegation zone – their worst start out to a league season due to the fact getting promoted back to the prime-flight in 2001.
The club’s board is facing inquiries from angry fans who had higher expectations soon after Sevilla completed fourth final term obtaining battled with Genuine Madrid for the title for most of the campaign.
Unhappy with Marseille’s transfer activity, Sampaoli left the club in July soon after top them to a second-location finish in Ligue 1 and Champions League qualification final season
Podence: A thing had to alter at Wolves
Wolves attacker Daniel Podence admits “anything required to alter” at Molineux soon after poor performances in coaching sessions and matches – but he insists the players are also to blame for Lage’s departure.
Speaking to Sky Sports News ahead of Wolves’ trip to Chelsea on Saturday, Podence led a rallying cry to his group-mates and in particular the club’s senior players, to place the group back on track.
“It really is extremely sad mainly because it indicates us as players did not make a excellent job as properly,” Podence stated. “We are playing in a excellent way but we are not winning points or games. It really is not just about the boss, it is us as properly. It tends to make us really feel poor.
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Wolves winger Daniel Podence says the players felt sad to see head coach Bruno Lage shed his job but admits anything required to alter at the club going forward
“At the similar point, we required anything new or a unique way to do items mainly because players had been not carrying out so excellent in coaching sessions or at matches. A thing had to alter and the club realised the boss had to go.
“We have to accept it and we have to deal with it now with a unique [boss]. As players, we have to demand significantly far more from each and every other.
“It really is a mix of all the things: the method and the management. Even the players had been obtaining comfy and we required anything unique and now we have it.
“We have been watching a lot of teams sacking their manager and nonetheless carrying out a poor job so I consider us as players, we have to consider and realise that we have to do so significantly far more.”
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Lopetegui is Wolves’ preferred candidate for the vacant head coach position at Molineux
Time up for Lage at woeful Wolves
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:
“Thirty-one particular games into a stint that has ended soon after 46 of them, Bruno Lage had Wolves seventh in the Premier League table and 5 points off the Champions League locations. Due to the fact then his group have disintegrated and he finds himself out of a job.
“One particular win in 15 games reflects that dramatic decline. It is not just that they are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season. It is the truth that they have scored fewer targets than Burnley due to the fact April – and Burnley had been relegated in Could.
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Free of charge TO WATCH: Highlights from West Ham’s win against Wolves in the Premier League
“Lage has failed to reach his targets with a group that does not score them.
“But events in London felt like an ending, a manager who had lost his way. Ruben Neves, Wolves’ very best player, out of position in defence. The diminutive Daniel Podence up front. Nelson Semedo on the wing. A group not set up to play to their personal strengths.”
Study Adam Bate’s complete function right here.
