It seems certain that Julen Lopetegui will be in charge of Sevilla next season – as Sporting Director Monchi had previously stated.
Towards the end of the last campaign it had appeared as if a break was on the cards, with Sevilla collapsing in the second half of the season and some fans booing at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Yet after a lunch with Monchi on Friday to plan the season, it appears set in stone that Lopetegui will remain at the helm.
Starting a fourth season in charge of Sevilla is no mean feat. As Diario AS point out, only one other manager has done so in the 21st century. Lopetegui looks set to surpass everyone but Joaquin Caparros, who was at Sevilla from 2000-2005, with managers like Unai Emery, Jorge Sampaoli and Marcelino Garcia Toral and Gregorio Manzano failing to have the same impact.
Sevilla rightly have earned the image of a well-run club in the 21st century, but that statistic shows the remarkable stability and staying power shown by Julen Lopetegui. A quality which is becoming hard to find in modern football.
Taking all that into account, if Lopetegui wants to complete his fourth campaign with Los Nervionenses then Sevilla must pick up from the end of last season.
