Thursday 17 March 2022 was the day Julen Lopetegui decided he wanted to become Head Coach of West Ham United.
It was on that evening, a little over two years ago, that Lopetegui’s Sevilla visited east London for a UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg tie.
As he walked out of the tunnel, the atmosphere under the floodlights at London Stadium was unlike anything the former FC Porto, Spain and Real Madrid Head Coach had experienced in his career – it was deafening, intimidating and winning, as the Hammers were inspired to roar back and defeat the reigning Europa League champions in extra-time.
While the night may have ended in disappointment, Lopetegui had been struck by the passion and authenticity of the Claret and Blue Army – a Claret and Blue Army who were his enemies on that unforgettable night, but now stand behind the new Head Coach as allies.
“In the end we were eliminated, but I have very good memories about the environment,” he told West Ham TV.
“It was an exciting ambience, incredible, and I remember that what I thought was, ‘one day I would like to stay here as a coach’, and now I am here. So, for me, it was a very special moment there because this kind of fantastic environment is very different for all the teams and now I want to enjoy this ambience.”
A passionate coach who is never afraid to show his emotions on the touchline, Lopetegui believes positive energy inside a stadium, and around a Football Club, can and does make a difference to performances on the pitch.
Put simply, if players feel support, they can play with more confidence and freedom and without fear, as they did that famous night Lopetegui’s Sevilla visited – the night he realised West Ham was a Club he would one day love to coach.
“It’s an incredible place and one of the things I feel is the most important part of this Club, which is the fans,” he explained. “The fans are behind us and are always key for us, and I am sure they are going to help us achieve our aims by creating this kind of special environment they are able to create in this fantastic stadium. Of course, it’s one important part of our move into the next years.
“It’s very important to have this environment, this ambience, because I always say that this energy you can feel in the key moments in the season. This energy is always going to help you. This positive energy always is willing to help us at home but also away too, because I know these fans of West Ham are and I am sure they are going to support us.
“To have this kind of environment is going to be fantastic for us.”
