RFEF not happy Lopetegui took the Madrid job so close to WC?

They just fired him.

This is such a weird sport.

Good thing I didn't pick Spain in the bracket challenge.

Wtf

So Albert Celades, u-21 coach, or bring back Del Bosque? I'd like to see Hierro get the job, but not like this.

Mirror is reporting it's Celades.

Laugh/cry. So stupid.

Wow. So stupid.

This sort of thing happens regularly. Stupid move by the Spanish Federation at the 11th hour. I wonder what was going on, if anything, internally between RFEF and Lopetegui.

jeffk said:

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I'll "coach" them through the Cup for room and board.

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You'll work on the cheap huh? I'd at least hold out for a win bonus!

On the other hand would you cut my grass for ice water? I'll give you a small bottle of Gatorade if you do a good job.

Last time, promise. Hierro is taking over officially.
https://twitter.com/SeFutbol/status/1006872429560516608?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Spain will be fine. Too much young talent, in addition to respected vets like Iniesta, Ramos, Silva, etc.

Whoa!

Unbelievable that a Federation would do this on the eve of the World Cup.

JJxvi said:

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It's arrogant. Basically they are doing this because they are mad at this guy, but a federation would also only do this if they think they are so good they could win with anybody.

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I hope it becomes France in 2010 and Spain bomb out of the cup

wangus12 said:

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JJxvi said:

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It's arrogant. Basically they are doing this because they are mad at this guy, but a federation would also only do this if they think they are so good they could win with anybody.

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I hope it becomes France in 2010 and Spain bomb out of the cup

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Well France 2002, the defending WC champions, literally laid a goose egg with 0 goals scored. At least in 2010 they scored 1 goal.

I think the issue resides in Spains fragile concept of team (and national) unity. The belief amongst the Catalan contingent is that Real Madrid has always tried to control the Spanish national team. They will tell you that Spain only achieved greatness when the Raul/RM-dominated team was disassembled to make way for the tiki-taka of Barca.

My guess is there is dissention amongst the Barca (and possibly the Atletico) players behind the scenes. They would have accused the manager of doing what is best for RM and not Spain. The Spanish FA was in a no win situation here.

Yep. Spain is a very weird place.

Didn't conte commit to Chelsea and still coach Italy during the Euros?

I doubt they completely flop. Their group will be easy, aside form Portugal (which I think they'll still win) , and they have a ton of talent.

They're probably the best prepared team to deal with this due to all the experience in the group and also their style of play. Hierro will step in and do fine. As the sporting director, he's very familiar with the players and they are with him. I actually think this may galvanize the players.

One rumor was that a non-RM player was threatening to leak it, hence it was announced. Otherwise it he may have made it longer. Ergo I doubt it galvanizes them to come together rather than divide them. What loyalty can exist with such suspicion in the squad?

Crazy to fire him now.

Yeah, but i'd say there's a big difference between coaching Italy and then going to the EPL and coaching Spain and then committing to coach a team that is hated by half your national team and comprises the other half. Thats a bit of a gross generalization, but I'd imagine the Spain job is a very political job that requires a deft hand to dispel problems and accusations of favoritism between Madrid & Barca/Atletico guys

Nah, anybody can do it. They can afford to fire an undefeated coach to get the next "deft hand" in there at any time.

The reports yesterday were that the head of the federation found out 5 minutes before RM made the announcement and that there was some dissention between the RM and Barca players in the clubhouse.

I kind of think RM orchestrated this. If everyone waits to make the announcement after the WC and the team flames out in R16, RM gets destroyed for this hire. They can't afford for him to lose out badly so they get him out of there.

mathguy86 said:

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The reports yesterday were that the head of the federation found out 5 minutes before RM made the announcement and that there was some dissention between the RM and Barca players in the clubhouse.

I kind of think RM orchestrated this. If everyone waits to make the announcement after the WC and the team flames out in R16, RM gets destroyed for this hire. They can't afford for him to lose out badly so they get him out of there.

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And magically they don't have to pay the 2.0M buyout either huh? It's a fanciful theory but I doubt Florentino was trying to sabotage the national team. There's more than club at stake here.

But really I don't think he gets blamed all if he stays and they crash. Spain has the same problems they've always had. Great midfield but no great striker and they've struggled to integrate strikers they have. We can go through the list but foreigners make Spanish teams tick. Suarez and Messi at Barcelona (they cycled through a lot of strikers before Suarez), Ronaldo benzema at Real, it's griezman at atltico, and so on. Iaspas is their highest goal scorer on the roster and we'll see if he starts. It's a ready made excuse.