Julen Lopetegui

Born in Asteasu, Gipuzkoa, Lopetegui started his professional career at local Real Sociedad. In 1985, he accepted an offer from Real Madrid, where the 19-year-old played in the B team. After a loan spell at Las Palmas, Lopetegui returned, but could never dislodge another veteran, Francisco Buyo, only managing one La Liga appearance over two seasons, a 3–3 away draw against Atlético Madrid as Real were already crowned league champions. He subsequently signed with Logroñés, being instrumental as the modest Riojan club consistently managed to retain its top-flight status. When Andoni Zubizarreta left for Valencia in 1994, Lopetegui joined Barcelona, battling – and losing – for first-choice status with longtime understudy Carles Busquets. After the Catalans bought Porto's Vítor Baía, he was further demoted to third string, and returned to Madrid with Segunda División club Rayo Vallecano in 1997. Lopetegui was a starter in his first two seasons at Rayo, culminating with their play-off final win over Extremadura in June 1999. After returning to the top tier he lost his place to American international Kasey Keller and then Imanol Etxeberria; he played 36 top-flight games from 1999 to 2002. He was nonetheless favoured for the team's run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2000–01, where they were eliminated by compatriots Alavés. He retired at the age of 36.

Lopetegui's performances at Logroñés earned him his sole cap with Spain, coming on as a substitute for Zubizarreta for the final 30 minutes of a 2–0 friendly loss to Croatia in Valencia, on 23 March 1994. He was subsequently picked for the squad at that year's FIFA World Cup.

Beginnings

Lopetegui was one of Spain coach Juan Santisteban's assistants at the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. After the tournament, he had his first head coaching spell at Rayo, with the club in the second division, but was sacked after the tenth match of the 2003–04 campaign, which ended in relegation to Segunda División B. After working as a sports commentator, including for LaSexta in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he returned to coaching, with Real Madrid Castilla, who he played for in the 1980s, now in the third tier. From 2010 to 2014, Lopetegui worked with the Spanish youth teams, winning the 2012 European Under-19 Championship and the 2013 Under-21 Championship. He left the Royal Spanish Football Federation on 30 April 2014, following the expiration of his contract.

Porto

Lopetegui returned to club duties on 6 May 2014, being appointed at Portugal's Porto. He signed seven Spanish players to the club that summer. In his first season at the Estádio do Dragão, with the club's biggest budget ever, Lopetegui led them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they equalled the club's biggest defeat in European competitions losing 6–1 against Bayern Munich (having lost by the same score to AEK Athens in 1978). He failed to win any silverware, contributing to the longest drought during Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa's presidency. On 8 January 2016, after a 1–3 home loss to Marítimo in the Taça da Liga, as Porto had already been eliminated…

Sporting director Monchi, who worked with Lopetegui at Sevilla, described him as having three virtues that are fundamental for any coach: great professional qualities, competitiveness and group management. He also highlighted Lopetegui's fit to work in big clubs saying that 'Julen perfectly understands what a big club needs, he has his requests, but it’s normal, and he always works in sync with the club. He is demanding but only for the good of those who appointed him and never out of selfishness.'