FOCUS MN – Lopetegui for the Pioli post? Master with young people but always crushed by pressure

The coaching career of Julian Lopeteguia Basque coach who according to various sources, not least La Gazzetta dello Sport this morning, could be the right name to replace Stephen Pegs on the bench of the Milan, can be divided into two large macrostrands. The first, which includes the parenthesis in the national teams Under from the SpainThe Seville and a year in Portand the second, which refers to the jumble Between Spain And Real Madrid.

The high point of his career at Club level he experienced it at Sevillewhen in the summer of 2020, full Covid period, wins the Europa League against Antonio Conte’s Inter thanks to a brace from de Jong and to theown goal by Lukaku in the usual “European final” format. With Spain he wins twice U19 European Championshiponce that U21 in 2013 (among other things beating Italy in the final). Parenthesis in Porto without trophiesbut with a path in Champions League positive interrupted only by a sound beating from the Bayern Of Guardiola (6-1 in the quarterfinals after the 3-1 for the Dragons in the first leg), and then landed on the bench of the senior national team in 2016. With Spain he seems to have found his dimension and reaches the World Cup in Russia among the favourites: the dream is shattered a few days before the debut, when the federation exonerates him. Lopeteguipushed by his agent Mendes, he had signed with Real Madrid orphaned by Zidane (and after a few weeks by Ronaldo) in great secrecy and without notifying the leaders of the Spanish federation. The Basque coach commented on the incident as follows: “The saddest day of my life, after my mother’s death”.

It’s not bad at Real, but worse. Six defeats in 14 gameswith 14 goals scored and 14 conceded, accompanied by the “small” detail of European Super Cup final lost against Atletico Madrid. Lopetegui is sacked after one defeat suffered by Barcelona, victim of pressure and a club simply too big for his abilities to manage.

Sevilla, with whom he won a Europa League as we have told, is his longest period on a club bench: lasts 170 games with an average of 1.85 points per game (Pioli for example has an average of 1.91 points per game in 234 games) before being sacked in October 2022. After Sevilla, the Wolverhampton: club that has always winked at the Mendes “galaxy”. One hits here quiet salvation, even reaching mid-table. The following year, a few days before the start of the Premier League, by mutual agreement with the club he leaves his position due to differences on the market and on the modus operandi: it is therefore “stopped” from the first days of August 2023.

Far be it from us to make harsh judgments on a coach who nevertheless managed to reach important positions, but wanting to “read” Lopetegui’s career we can certainly say that with he was an inspiring teacher for young people and children, then losing control when the pressure and level is raised. His football ideas are obviously offensive, based on possession of the ball and control of the game with a 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1) which is based on technique especially in the middle of the pitch, taking away “power” from individuals and focusing everything on the concept of the collective. Can it work at Milan? It may or may not be. To date, however, the examples in teams with a certain pressure on us do not lead us to be particularly optimistic.