Reports | Julen Lopetegui turns down Wolves’ managerial role over personal reasons
According to Sky Sports, Wolverhampton Wanderers have suffered a blow in their search for a new manager after Julen Lopetegui rejected the offer over personal reasons. The Molineux side have been looking for a new head coach after sacking Bruno Lage, with Lopetegui said to be their top choice.
Following a summer of heavy spending to reinforce their team, many expected Bruno Lage to take Wolverhampton Wanderers to the next level. That was especially after Goncalo Guedes, Matheus Nunes and co arrived but Lage and Wolves have struggled to find their groove this term. So much so, that after just one win in their opening nine games, Wolves sacked the Portuguese boss. However, while the club has appointed Steve Davis and James Collins in the interim, reports revealed that a permanent move was on the horizon.
The club had shortlisted Julen Lopetegui despite the fact that the Spaniard was just sacked by Sevilla after an equally poor start to the season and is reportedly the top choice for the Wolves’ board to replace Bruno Lage. However, Sky Sports has reported that Lopetegui has rejected the offer and has cited personal reasons with the 56-year-old looking to spend time with his family. The report has indicated that Wolves have pulled out all the stops to get the Spaniard in the hot seat as executive chairman Jeff Shi held talks with Lopetegui.
However, despite that, the former Real Madrid and Spanish national team head coach refused the opportunity as he believed it wasn’t the right time, either personally or professionally. Furthermore, BBC’s Guillem Balague has also reported that Wolves managed to put forward an impressive case to Lopetegui, but the Spaniard’s decision was steadfast although Balague revealed that the 56-year-old does plan on coaching in the Premier League in the near future.