Madrid: Real Madrid president Florentino Perez blasted Spain’s Football Federation’s (RFEF) decision to sack Julen Lopetegui just two days before the national team’s campaign opener at the World Cup against Portugal as the new Real manager went teary during his unveiling here, Thursday evening.
Lopetegui was in tears as he took the stage at the Santiago Bernabeu. He said, “Yesterday (Wednesday) was the saddest day of my life since the death of my mother.”
There was applause from assembled Madrid directors, dignitaries, and Lopetegui’s friends and family members and he continued: “But today (Thursday) is the happiest day of my life.”
There was no lull in the mud-slinging between the Spanish national team and Real Madrid as the club’s Perez labelled the decision to sack Lopetegui ‘absurd’.
We wanted to do this after the World Cup after another Spain success but circumstances have dictated that we are here now
Florentino Perez
“Real Madrid had reached an agreement with Lopetegui for him to take over after the World Cup, respecting his contract, and it needed to be made public for it to be transparent and to avoid rumour and leaks that could affect the team,” said Perez. “This (sacking) was an absurd reaction from the president of the Spanish Football Federation,” he added.
Lopetegui meanwhile said that Spain players had no problem with him staying in the job until the end of the World Cup. “When the players knew the news we had the best training session of the week so they had no problem at all with it. I only wish that Rubiales had acted in a different way,” said the new Real manager.
