Lopetegui: I don’t rule out returning to the Premier League and La Liga to coach in the future. My relationship with Real Madrid is very good

Lopetegui, the head coach of the Qatar national team, accepted an exclusive interview with "Marca". He looked back on his coaching experience at West Ham United, Wolves, Sevilla and Real Madrid, and compared the differences between the Premier League and La Liga.

How would you sum up your experience at Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolves and West Ham United?

We left at Real Madrid, yes, but the fact is, if you look at the ending of the 18-19 season, it was not that bad when we left. At Sevilla, we achieved a historic achievement: entering the Champions League for three consecutive years; at Wolves, we did something that has only happened once in the history of the Premier League, Newcastle: still deputy squad leader on December 25, and finally relegated four rounds ahead of schedule; at West Ham United, the team was ranked 13th when we left, which is not too bad considering what happened later; in Qatar, we qualified for 2026.

Do you have any regrets in the Premier League?

But when we left, we weren't that bad. There were high expectations for that team, we were 13th and had a higher points average than we would later. Sometimes club expectations are unrealistic and we were doing a very interesting, future-focused job. The target was to finish in the top ten, we were only three points away and we were short of signings from the winter transfer market. The team hasn't gotten better since we left, and that's what it looks like now.

Will you have a third coaching experience in the Premier League?

There have been some choices, but we are very happy in Qatar and we are looking forward to the upcoming Arab Cup and World Cup. We will take the Arabian Cup very seriously and maybe rest the older players and bring in the younger ones.

Do you want to return to Spain to coach? why not ?

We have had the option of going back, with specific offers, but I like challenges, and the challenge in Qatar is huge. Considering the situation at the time, the possibility of entering the World Cup is very small. This challenge moved me very much, and it was not yet time to return to La Liga.

Almost all the top Basque coaches are abroad: you, Arteta, Iola

The Premier League, on a competitive level, makes us all want to go there, but there are only 20 coaching seats. Emery and Elora are both doing a great job. But yes, I wouldn’t rule out a return to the Premier League or Spain in the future. As long as I have the energy... the challenge requires a lot of effort.

People here appreciate that you didn't leave the country. You live in Qatar.

I can't imagine working any other way and being so immersed in the culture of this country. This is necessary in order to understand as much as possible. People's impressions of national team coaches are sometimes unreal. The national team coach can also work as long as he wants, which can be quite long.

We return to the Premier League. Do you think it's way ahead of La Liga?

There is an important difference: the Premier League signed the best of La Liga. Also, the Premier League is unparalleled in terms of packed stadiums and festive atmosphere at every game...going to a Premier League match is a family and festive event. They do this even if they can't see all the games on TV because they know the rights are sold abroad and the money is there. Their products are very beautiful. If you add to that the financial ability to bring in the best players...it's not easy to compete with them.

Are you sad about the current situation in Seville?

We stayed there for more than three years and made history. We won the Europa League, but above all I cherish being in the Champions League three seasons in a row, finishing fourth or even third. It was unprecedented in Seville. The memories of the team and the city are wonderful. The Sevilla derby does not exist anywhere in the world. People live in this atmosphere a month before and a month after the game. …and I don’t feel bad about Sevilla this year. This project doesn't look bad. Antonio Cordon has done a great job so far.

How is your professional relationship with Real Madrid?

Very good, very good, I think it is very good. I have many friends there and I will always have a deep affection for the years I spent there as a goalkeeper and coach, first at Castilla and then with the first team. The relationship today is very good. If you look at where Real Madrid finished that season, you know it wasn't that bad when we left.

Not that bad?

When we left in October we were only seven points behind Barcelona and that wouldn't be the first time Real Madrid had come back from seven points. We just had a World Cup year and it was a difficult start to the season. A month before we left we had a great game against Roma. We had hope and certainty that we would do something great, but I understood Real Madrid's demands... it was acceptable for them to sack us. But look at what happened next: after two more coaching changes, they ended up trailing Barcelona by a number of points. That's reality. I have a good relationship with Sanchez and when I met Florentino, everything was fine. No problem.

You were an excellent goalkeeper... Who do you think is the number one goalkeeper today?

It's hard to say. There's a lot of Courtois, Unai Simon and Raya David de Gea are still top, Barcelona's Joan Garcia, looks good... I think the debate about the best is more for you journalists. We professionals don’t think this comparison makes sense. It depends on what you are pursuing as a team...

Can you imagine yourself being like Pellegrini or Ranieri, still on the coaching bench at the age of 70?

My family... will tell you no, but I love competing and the adrenaline of competing makes me get up every day and want to be better. Of course, you must also be in good health. Elite level requires you to put in a lot of effort... and even then, it doesn't guarantee success.

source:7m cn tỷ số trực tuyến