The Spanish Football Association have sacked Julen Lopetegui just a day after he was named the new Real Madrid manager.
Lopetegui signed a three-year deal with the UEFA Champions League winners on Tuesday but was poised to lead the La Furia Roja to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The Spanish FA president and former Hamilton Academical defender Luis Rubiales explaining the decision to terminate Lopetegui’s contract.
“We have to decided to fire the national coach,” Rubiales said in a press conference on Wednesday.
“What we have achieved in getting here is due in great part to him, and we must thank him and wish him luck.
“The Spanish national team is the team of all the Spaniards. We only found out just five minutes before that he was leaving for Madrid.
“There is a way that you must act, Julen has worked in a great way with the team, but we cannot accept how he has acted in this case.”
Former Spain captain and Real Madrid legend, Fernando Hierro, who is also the current sporting director of the Spanish FA, is understood to be an early frontrunner to succeed Lopetegui.
Spain’s first game at the Russia 2018 World Cup is against neighbours Portugal on Friday. Morocco and Iran are the other teams in Group B.
