Sevilla dismisses Julen Lopetegui after painful loss against Dortmund | Foreign football

Lopetegui already seemed to know what was in store for him in a defeat to Dortmund. Immediately after the game against the Germans, which was largely lost, he thanked the audience in the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Seville. The supporters of the red and white reacted with a big round of applause towards their trainer.

The former manager of FC Porto, the Spanish national team and Real Madrid, had a successful period at Sevilla. Lopetegui has played 170 games for the Spanish club, finishing in the top 4 in three of his four seasons and winning the Europa League in 2020 by beating Inter in the final. Lopetegui has been the coach of Sevilla since June 2019. According to Spanish media, the board of Seville has already found a successor for Lopetegui with the Argentine trainer Jorge Sampaoli.

“Thank you to all the people and players who have given me great things here in Seville,” Lopetegui told Movistar Plus after the defeat to the Germans. “I am sad to have to leave a team that I love very much. I also thank the fans of Sevilla and appreciate the support.”

Lopetegui said he had already said goodbye to the players. “This is not the time to talk about disrespect. I am grateful for everything I have achieved at this club,” said the coach, who was in tears. He received a standing ovation from the supporters at the end of the game, who chanted that the club’s board had to resign.

This season, however, it did not go well at Sevilla. The club has only won once this season and is just one point above the relegation zone. In the Champions League, the team also took only one point, visiting FC Copenhagen.

Lopetegui is not the first coach to be sacked after a Champions League defeat this season. Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea) and Domenico Tedesco (RB Leipzig) also received their conge.