Sevilla fires Lopetegui after losing in the Champions League, citing “sadness and grief”

Following Sevilla’s 4-1 Champions League defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, Julen Lopetegui said he felt “sadness and agony” and was relieved of his duties as manager.

Some supporters cheered Lopetegui at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan and vented their anger at the board as the team dropped to 17th in La Liga following a terrible run of results.

Spain-based media outlets are reporting that Jorge Sampaoli, who led Sevilla during the 2016–17 campaign, has agreed to take over.

“Lopetegui concludes a fantastic tenure, with three wonderful seasons in which the squad achieved all of its goals with flying colors, and a fourth season in which results did not materialize, with Sevilla on five points out of a possible 21 in La Liga,” read the statement from Sevilla.

Because to Sevilla’s stunning victory in the club’s sixth Europa League in the 2019–20 season, Lopetegui “will remain permanently in the top rung of the club’s history.”

Prior to the club’s announcement, the coach briefly acknowledged his resignation on Spanish television.

“I am thankful to the whole Sevilla organization, their supporters, and the players who have given me three wonderful seasons,” Lopetegui said to Movistar. “(I feel) grief and anguish for leaving a team that I love very much and that will unquestionably remain in my heart,” the author said.

Jules Kounde went to Barcelona, Diego Carlos was purchased by Aston Villa, and Lucas Ocampos went on loan to Ajax as Sevilla sought to reduce expenditures. These moves represented the defensive backbone of Lopetegui’s defense.

In his debut season, the former Spain and Real Madrid coach led the Andalusian team to a record-tying sixth Europa League championship. He was hired in June 2019.

But since Lopetegui took over, the squad has gone nine games without a victory in all competitions, including three straight fourth-place finishes.

They only managed one win all season, defeating Cadiz on the first day. On October 1, a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid at home all but clinched Lopetegui’s doom, and their devastation by Dortmund made it official.

four consecutive defeats
Despite losing four straight home games for the first time since 2002, Lopetegui was nonetheless praised by the crowd, and he expressed his appreciation for their support.

Potential successor to Lopetegui Sampaoli led Sevilla to a fourth-place finish in his lone season in charge, but he left to coach Argentina in 2017, guiding them to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Among other teams, the 62-year-old has managed the Chilean national team, who won the 2015 Copa America, and French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He departed Marseille in July.

Jude Bellingham, a 17-year-old English player for Dortmund, was chosen captain of the team on Wednesday and scored a goal.

The German team maintains second place in Group G with six points thanks to the 19-year-third old’s straight Champions League goal.

With a perfect nine points from three games after a 5-0 demolition of FC Copenhagen, Manchester City is in first place.

Raphael Guerreiro was assisted by Bellingham, whose excellent ball set him up for the first goal after only six minutes.

After gliding past Nemanja Gudelj and putting the ball in the far corner in the 41st minute, Bellingham increased the score to 2-0.

Just two minutes later, Karim Adeyemi’s close-range goal made it 3-0.

After 51 minutes, Youssef En-Nesyri headed in a consolation goal for his first goal of the year.

However, the 75th-minute goal by Julian Brandt ended any hopes of a comeback.

https://miniechat.com