Julen
Lopetegui, coach of the Seville, prepares from the night of this Sunday already in Russian soil the match that his team plays against Krasnodar on the fourth day of the Champions League in its group stage. The Gipuzkoan coach returns to a city that brings him, without a doubt, mixed feelings, since in the Caucasian city he was dismissed as national coach after leaking in the press the agreement he had with Florentino Pérez to be Real Madrid coach once he finished of the World Cup in Russia.
It was in June 2018, when the Spanish Federation chose Krasnodar for the final preparation for the start of the World Cup. The excellent facilities of the FC Krasnodar Academy and the spectacular stadium of the southern Russian club witnessed everything that happened, with the decision of Luis Rubiales to remove him from his position as head of the national team two days before his debut and put him in his place. Fernando Hierro, then sports director.
Lopetegui, who in October was also dismissed as Real Madrid coach due to sporting results, has already mentioned on several occasions that he has forgotten everything that happened, but in his subconscious the memory of those days will surely be present.
The Seville expedition, made up of 23 players (5 of them homegrown), landed in Russia on Sunday night. The Andalusians face Krasnodar this Tuesday at 6:55 p.m.