Julen Lopetegui sacked by West Ham as clear favourite already emerges to replace him
Julen Lopetegui has been sacked as manager of West Ham, the club have confirmed.
The former Real Madrid and Spain boss was appointed as David Moyes' replacement in the summer, and took charge of just 22 games in all competitions.
He leaves West Ham in 15th place in the Premier League, with his final game in charge being Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Manchester City.
The Hammers went on a four-match unbeaten run around Christmas but conceded nine goals in their most recent two games against City and Liverpool.
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The frequency of heavy defeats under his reign ultimately played a key role in Lopetegui's undoing, as he also oversaw a 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal and a 4-1 loss at Tottenham.
A club statement read: "West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the Club.
"The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the Club’s ambitions and the Club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.
"The Club can confirm that Assistant Head Coach Pablo Sanz, Head of Performance Oscar Caro, Head Analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, Fitness Coach Borja De Alba and Technical Coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect.
"The Board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.
"The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time."
According to Betfair, Graham Potter is the odds-on favourite at 4/7 to replace Lopetegui and make his return to the Premier League following an absence of nearly two years.
The Englishman was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and has since spent time away from football, despite being linked with roles at Ajax, Nice, Leicester and several other clubs.
Also among the contenders are said to be Steve Cooper, who was recently sacked by Leicester, and Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, who came through West Ham's academy and made over 100 appearances for the Hammers between 1999 and 2004.
David Moyes, meanwhile, is priced at 7/1 to begin a third stint as Hammers manager.
West Ham next manager odds
- Graham Potter (Unattached) - 1/10
- Michael Carrick (Middlesbrough) - 6/1
- David Moyes (Unattached) - 7/1
- Sergio Conceicao (AC Milan) - 9/1
- Kasper Hjulmand (Unattached) - 11/1
(Odds via Oddchecker)
More to follow...
Topics: Julen Lopetegui, Premier League, West Ham, David Moyes, Graham Potter
Ryan Smart