Julen Lopetegui

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Lopetegui and the second or maternal family name is Argote.
Julen Lopetegui

Lopetegui with Porto in 2014
Personal information
Full nameJulen Lopetegui Argote
Date of birth28 August 1966
Place of birthAsteasu, Spain
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Porto (coach)
Youth career
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1985–1988Castilla61(0)
1988–1991Real Madrid1(0)
1988–1989→ Las Palmas (loan)31(0)
1991–1994Logroñés107(0)
1994–1997Barcelona5(0)
1997–2002Rayo Vallecano112(0)
Total317(0)
National team
1985Spain U211(0)
1994Spain1(0)
Teams managed
2003Rayo Vallecano
2008–2009Real Madrid B
2010–2013Spain U19
2010–2013Spain U20
2012–2014Spain U21
2014–Porto
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Julen Lopetegui Argote (born 28 August 1966) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and the current manager of FC Porto.

He played 149 games in La Liga during 11 seasons, appearing in the competition for Real Madrid, Logroñés, Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano. He added 168 matches in Segunda División, with three different clubs, and represented Spain at the 1994 World Cup.

Lopetegui started working as a manager in 2003, and went to spend several years in charge of Spain's youth teams. He led the under-19 and under-21 sides to European titles.

Playing career

Born in Asteasu, Gipuzkoa, Lopetegui started his professional career at local Real Sociedad, where he was barred by legendary Luis Arconada, deciding to accept the offer from Real Madrid, which immediately incorporated the 19-year-old to its B-team.

After one loan to UD Las Palmas Lopetegui returned, but could never dislodge another veteran, Francisco Buyo, only managing one La Liga appearance during two seasons, a 3–3 away draw against Atlético Madrid as Real was already crowned league champions.[1] He subsequently signed with CD Logroñés, being instrumental as the modest Riojan club consistently managed to retain its top flight status.[2][3][4]

Lopetegui's stellar performances at Logroñés earned him his sole cap with Spain, coming on as a substitute for Andoni Zubizarreta for the final 30 minutes of a 0–2 friendly loss with Croatia in Valencia, on 23 March 1994.[5] He was subsequently picked for the squad at that year's FIFA World Cup.

As Zubizarreta left for Valencia CF, Lopetegui was signed by the Catalans,[6] battling – and losing – for first-choice status with longtime understudy Carles Busquets.[7] After Barça bought F.C. Porto's Vítor Baía he was further demoted to third-string, and returned to Madrid with Rayo Vallecano, being a starter in two of his five seasons (although he still managed 36 league appearances from 1999 to 2002, with Rayo always in the top division, as he retired subsequently).

Managerial career

Lopetegui had his first coaching spell at precisely Rayo, with the club in the second level, being sacked after the tenth match of the 2003–04 campaign,[8] which ended in relegation to division three. After working as a sports commentator, namely for laSexta in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he returned to coaching, with a side he represented in the 1980s, Real Madrid Castilla, now in the third division.[9]

From 2010 to 2014 Lopetegui worked with the Spanish youth teams, winning the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship[10] and the 2013 European Under-21 Championship.[11] He left the Royal Spanish Football Federation on 30 April 2014, following the expiration of his contract.[12]

On 6 May 2014 Lopetegui returned to club duties, being appointed at Portugal's F.C. Porto.[13] He signed seven Spanish players to the club that summer.[14]

Honours

Player

Real Madrid
Barcelona
Spain U20

Manager

Spain U19
Spain U21

Managerial statistics

As of 26 April 2015
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Rayo Vallecano Spain 2003 2003 11 2 2 7 10 17 -7 18.18
Real Madrid B Spain 2008 2009 38 18 9 11 60 45 +15 47.37
Spain U19 Spain 2010 2013 11 8 3 0 29 9 +20 72.73
Spain U20 Spain 2010 2013 10 7 2 1 22 8 +14 70.00
Spain U21 Spain 2012 2014 11 11 0 0 34 7 +27 100.00
Porto Portugal 2014 Present 47 33 10 4 105 30 +75 70.21
Career totals 128 79 26 23 259 116 +143 61.72

Source: Zerozero

References

  1. ↑ "Toda la suerte de un campeón" [Champion's luck] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 29 April 1990. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "El Logroñés confirma su salvación a costa del Cádiz" [Logroñés confirms survival at the expense of Cádiz] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 21 June 1993. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Oxígeno para el Logroñés" [Oxygen for Logroñés] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 4 April 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Salenko hizo historia con dos goles" [Salenko made history with two goals] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 16 May 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Baño croata en la noche de Valencia" [Croatian steamroll in Valencia night] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 24 March 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Andoni y Julen, juntos" [Andoni and Julen, together] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 24 May 1994. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "No me doy por derrotado" [I will not surrender] (in Spanish). El País. 8 February 1995. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Julen Lopetegui fue destituido" [Julen Lopetegui was sacked] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 2 November 2003. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Lopetegui, nuevo técnico del Castilla" [Lopetegui, new Castilla manager] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "España sigue haciendo historia" [Spain still making history] (in Spanish). UEFA.com. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Thiago treble helps Spain retain Under-21 crown". UEFA.com. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "Lopetegui abandona el cargo de seleccionador Sub-21" [Lopetegui leaves Under-21 manager position] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Lopetegui signs as new Porto manager". Marca. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "City sign Mangala, Porto turn to Marcano". UEFA.com. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.

External links