Julen Lopetegui says farewell to Real Madrid players after Barcelona defeat as Antonio Conte prepares to arrive

Julen Lopetegui says farewell to Real Madrid players after Barcelona defeat as Antonio Conte prepares to arrive

Julen Lopetegui has already said goodbye to Real Madrid's players as the club prepare to replace him with Antonio Conte, according to reports in Spain.

Lopetegui's fate appears to have been sealed following Madrid's 5-1 hammering at the hands of Barcelona on Sunday.

Madrid have been beaten in five of their last seven matches and the humiliating loss at Camp Nou is likely to be Lopetegui's final game in charge.

According to Marca, Antonio Conte will be officially appointed next week, while Lopetegui has already said farewell to the players in the dressing room after the defeat to Barcelona.

Lopetegui addressed all of Madrid's squad who travelled to Camp Nou and wished the players well for the future.

Julen Lopetegui says farewell to Real Madrid players after Barcelona defeat as Antonio Conte prepares to arrive

It's reported that Lopetegui said 'just in case' at the end of his speech, as it could be the final time he sees the players before he is sacked.

Speaking after the game, Lopetegui was adamant that the 5-1 scoreline did not reflect Madrid's performance.

'It's hard to take and more so at Barcelona,' he said.

'I felt we had the chance to turn the game around. They were better than us in the first half but without making many chances.

Julen Lopetegui says farewell to Real Madrid players after Barcelona defeat as Antonio Conte prepares to arrive

'We were much better in the first half and we had the chance to get back into the game, but ultimately no luck and [Luis] Suarez's goal to make it 3-1 killed us off.

'The result doesn't reflect the run of play, but we must accept it. I'm sad, like the dressing room.

'It's a hard pill to swallow, but I'm strong and we're only in October. Everything is reversible for how much of the season remains and the confidence I have in the squad.

'The team have enough life in them for the rest of the season. I feel strong enough to keep leading this team.

'If I haven't criticised my team so far, I won't start now. All I want is to do is raise the morale of my players.'

Comments

Keep up to date with our latest articles and uploads...