Spain are showing an admirable fidelity to nostalgia this morning by descending to a complete farce just before the World Cup starts. Astonishingly, they have sacked manager Julen Lopetegui the DAY BEFORE THE WORLD CUP STARTS (and just two days before Spain kick of against Portugal).
Lopetegui was last night announced as the next Real Madrid manager, with the initial plan to take over once his World Cup duties were over with Spain. Madrid's announcing the news, however, blindsided the Spanish federation, and a furious FA decided to hit the self-destruct button out of sheer Pique pique.
The news was relayed by a delayed press conference as the players argued with the FA in order to stave off the sacking, but the best efforts of Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Ramos went unrewarded, and we are now in the astonishing position of Spain being without a manager 24 hours before the opening ceremony.
Here is some of the reaction to a flabbergasting morning at the World Cup.
Basically, it's come down to a matter of principle. It's a mafia-esque move from the Federation..
— Richard Martin (@Rich9908) June 13, 2018
In a way it's quite fitting that a country that had no government for a year has no coach the day before the World Cup starts.
— Richard Martin (@Rich9908) June 13, 2018
What a fall from grace for Lopetegui, getting sacked a day before the biggest tournament starts . Strong statement by the Spanish FA, @DFB_Team_EN take note re Özil/Gündogan
— Didi Hamann (@DietmarHamann) June 13, 2018
I bet Julen Lopetegui is currently drinking a pint of wine
— Will Unwin (@Will_Unwin) June 13, 2018
this is what makes the decision so astonishing. rubiales will get all the blame if spain fall apart. understand his anger with lopetegui, but maybe he should have waited till he calmed down to see if booting the coach two days before the first match still seemed like a good idea https://t.co/mNQXJXRu6L
— Ken Early (@kenearlys) June 13, 2018
Lopetegui: The reign with Spain stays mainly on the plane.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) June 13, 2018
Rubiales not coming out of this well... talking a lot about how it was not right how he only found out five minutes before Lopetegui to Madrid made public.
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 13, 2018
Rubiales: “It might have been different if we had known earlier, to protect the image of the federation. We had no idea, not at all, within the federation. There was no negotiation with Madrid, none at all.”
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 13, 2018
Wait, maybe I get a call up now! https://t.co/4InwsavXZa
— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) June 13, 2018
Quite interesting to see that most on my timeline in Spain seem to agree with the decision by Rubiales to sack Lopetegui, and see it as a demonstration of values. Internationally, received the opposite way.
— Lee Roden (@LeeRoden89) June 13, 2018
Real Madrid's Florentino Pérez probably cackling now. He'll get Lopetegui even sooner than he expected.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) June 13, 2018
