Alexander Puzik - about appointment to the post of head coach of Real Halen Lopetega.
Real for the second time in just two weeks was able to shock the entire media space. At first "creamy" discouraged the resignation of Zinedine Zidane just four days after winning the Champions League final, but now two days before the start of the World Cup the club announced the appointment of the current head coach of the Spanish national team, Julien Lopetega. It's even hard to say right now which of the two news shocked more.
And LadoTegi would at least be on the list of candidates! Julia and close there was not. Moreover, even bookmakers did not accept bets on such a turn of events - no one could have foreseen that three weeks after the prolongation of the contract with the Spanish Football Federation, Lopetega decided to change its future. And there are those who for at least a second imagined how Florentino Perez, a few days before the start of the World Cup, takes his phone, dials the number and offers the Spanish national team coach the position of the steering Real Madrid?.
Perez, it seems, will never cease to surprise us. Nevertheless, no matter who now did not speak, the president did not take the decision in the heat. The appointment of Lopetega is a deliberate step. Florentino knew perfectly well what kind of warmth and respect for him the captain of the team Sergio Ramos and Spanish collections. For the first time Perez looked at Lopeghi as a true coach back in 2015 when he was at the helm of Porto and in the first leg of the quarter finals of the Champions League beat Bavaria himself Josep Guardiola. And all went to the fact that it was Lopetegi who would replace in the summer of the same year in 2015 as coach of Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti, but at the last moment Peres did not dare to take this step and appointed a more experienced Rafael Benitez. Now, in favor of the appointment, Julena says a lot more than three years ago.
During these years Lopetegi became more experienced, worked really with the winners in spirit and learned a lot in the tactical plan. Hullen took a lot from Del Bosque ever since working together in Real Madrid, followed the work of Mourinho in Barcelona, ??and also took the example from Juande Ramos when he was the coach of the reserve team "Blancos". His work with young players and the ability to perestroika - exactly what is now vital to Real. Lopetegi certainly will not be able to win trophies in Real Madrid at the same frequency as his predecessor (Zidane will generally find it hard to beat any coach), but he has the power to do what drove the same Zinedine into a shake - to change the team, to change generations and prepare a foothold for future accomplishments. This is the minimum required from Lopetega.
On the other hand, Hulen himself understands well what he subscribed to and where he got. He will certainly be given time, but not as much as he wants. The disgraced president of Real Madrid can forgive once or twice, but on a conditional third time no pardon will be. Right now, Lopetegi needs to learn to cope with only one thing - pressures from the press and fans, because such chaos as in Real in this respect is not present in any other club.
Who will benefit from this step of leadership, and who will lose? Precisely we can say one thing - somewhere in Krasnodar last night I danced. Lopetegi trusted this player the place at the heart of the team, even in those periods when he was not the main player in Real Madrid. The arrival of Lopetega will untie the hands of Isko and allow the football player to do exactly what it turns out best for him - to enjoy his game. Lopetegi works very well with the Spanish youth, which was well proven at the youth championships in Europe (Hulen twice brought the U-19 national team to the championship and once again U-21).
This suggests that they will certainly get their chances Marcos Llorente, Dani Ceballos, Jesus Vallejo and Theo Hernandez. The last and at all Lopetegi took to Russia to help in the training process. Trust in young players in this specialist is very significant. The arrival in Real Lopetegi also literally wide open the door to the team of 22-year-old Alvaro Audriosol. "Creamy" has long led this player, and Lopetegi has made it clear that he is counting on Alvaro, when he took it, and not Barcelona's player Sergi Roberto at the World Cup.
Absolutely definitely not benefiting from this turn of events will be the national team of Spain. This news will benefit the collections of Real Madrid, but what about the rest? Will not this news destroy the atmosphere in the locker room? Here we can only assume, but one thing is certain: Lopetegi no longer has such a burden of responsibility as it was only a day ago. Will win the world championship - will leave a real hero, will not win - will leave in a quiet.
It's very strange to watch such appointments before big tournaments or at the height of the season, but when it comes to Florentino Perez, there can be absolutely anything. Nothing good promises the arrival of Lopetega and for Gareth Bale. For the Welshman, according to rumors, Manchester United offers a lot of money and to prevent this transfer the new entrenador probably will not. Moreover, Lopetegi does not like the soul in his still wards David De Gea, and given the persecution of this goalkeeper from the side of Real in recent years, there is quite an interesting exchange.
How to be with Ronaldo or the same Luka Modric? Do they see their new coach in the team? With all due respect to Lopetega, the question with Ronaldo will certainly lie outside his competence. It's only a question of whether the Portuguese will come together with the wage manual. True, Cristiano probably does not like the interview of a new coach a month and a half ago, in which he called Leo Messi the best player in the history of football. And what about the Croats? Lopetegi is not a follower of the 4: 3: 3 scheme, according to which Real played mainly under Zidane, and given his attitude towards Vasquez and Asencio, one can easily see the game with four midfielders. It turns out that the place in the basis can lose one of the players in the middle line. It was at Lopetegi that Kazemiro played in Porto, Kroos - is more common than Modrica. It turns out that the main candidate for the flight will be just Luka. Despite the brilliantly spent season, the Croats may turn out to be superfluous in the Lopetega constructions.
And finally about the chances of a new coach to become successful in Madrid. Perez risks, there is no doubt, and the president himself understands this.
However, unlike the same purpose of Raphael Benitez, logic is seen here and this decision can really be called strategic. To the appointment of Hohen can be treated skeptically, because at the club level, this coach has achieved almost nothing (exit with Porto in the quarter finals of the Champions League and. all), but right now Lopetega has all the makings to become a successful coach of Real Madrid. At this stage, everyone needs to just leave the mentor alone and let the world championship go quietly.
Author: Alexander Puzik.