West Ham has dismissed manager Julen Lopetegui after just 22 games at the helm, with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter expected to take over at the London Stadium.
Currently sitting 14th in the Premier League table, the Hammers find themselves seven points clear of the relegation zone after securing only six wins from 20 league matches during Lopetegui’s tenure.
A humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of champions Manchester City on Saturday proved to be the tipping point for club management.
Despite taking training as usual on Tuesday, Lopetegui arrived at work on Wednesday to be officially informed that his time in charge had come to an end.
“West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today (Wednesday) left the club,” stated the Hammers in an announcement.
“The first half of the 2024/25 season has not met the club’s ambitions, prompting the club to take action in alignment with its objectives.”
West Ham was among the Premier League’s biggest spenders in the summer transfer window, investing around £125 million ($155 million) on players such as Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, and Niclas Fullkrug.
However, Lopetegui managed to win just one of his first six league matches and presided over several heavy defeats, including a 5-2 loss to Arsenal and a 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool, both on home soil.
The former Real Madrid and Spain manager was appointed in May last year to succeed David Moyes, who left the club at the end of last season after his second spell.
During Moyes’s tenure, West Ham qualified for European competition for three consecutive seasons, culminating in their victory in the Europa Conference League in 2023, which secured the club’s first major trophy in 43 years.
At the time of his appointment, Lopetegui, who had previously managed Wolves in the Premier League, expressed that he had other opportunities but felt “very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too.”
In their search for a new manager, the club reportedly considered former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier.
However, Potter is the frontrunner to replace Lopetegui, with the club understood to have held discussions with the former Chelsea and Brighton manager regarding a potential short-term deal.
Potter, 49, has been out of management since his dismissal by Chelsea in April 2023, just seven months into a five-year contract, where he won only 12 of his 31 matches in charge.
He began his managerial career at Swedish club Ostersund and enjoyed successful spells with Swansea and Brighton before joining Chelsea.
West Ham is set to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday, followed by Premier League matches against Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Lopetegui is the fifth Premier League manager to lose his job this season, joining Erik ten Hag (Manchester United), Steve Cooper (Leicester), Gary O’Neil (Wolves), and Russell Martin (Southampton).
AFP