West Ham United have sacked head coach Julen Lopetegui after seven months in charge, with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter listed as the leading candidate to take over. The Spaniard had been preparing for the team for their FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa on January 10. But the board have decided to act, bringing an end to the 58-year-old’s tenure. Lopetegui was relieved of his duties by David Sullivan after holding crunch talks with the West Ham owner in a meeting on Monday. It comes after the Hammers were left languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table following their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City. A club statement reads: “West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the club. “The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the club’s ambitions and the club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives. “The club can confirm that assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect. “The board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future. “The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The club will be making no further comment at this time.”
