Lopetegui under fire as Real's wretched form drags on

Record ID: 1359298

  • Title: Lopetegui under fire as Real's wretched form drags on
  • Date: 5th October 2018
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (OCTOBER 5, 2018) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID PLAYERS WARMING UP MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO, FORWARDS GARETH BALE AND VINICIUS JUNIOR WARMING UP VARIOUS OF REAL MADRID COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI ATTENDING SESSION BALE JUGGLING AND WALKING WITH BALL PLAYERS DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS PASSING BALL BALE PASSING, MIDFIELDER LUKA MODRIC CHASING AND RECOVERING BALL / STRIKER KARIM BENZEMA CHASING BALL MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS PASSING BALL GOALKEEPER KEYLOR NAVAS TRAINING GOALKEEPERS THIBAUT COURTOIS AND KIKO CASILLA BLOCKING BALE SPRINTING PLAYERS SPRINTING MODRIC AND BALE WALKING BENZEMA WITH BALL AND PASSING LOPETEGUI WITH STAFF MEMBERS, PLAYERS PASSING IN THE BACKGROUND LOPETEGUI ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI SAYING: "We must naturally expect that Real Madrid is a very demanding club, but your approach evidently is correct, we have classified with the same points as the first team in the league, although we would like to be on top. In the Champions League we have no doubt that the team will follow the same line as it did against Roma. And clearly this is soccer and I think we deserved the 3 points against the CSKA Moscow but these circumstances and adversities are part of football. You can shoot 25 times, three hit the goal post and you don't score. Over all in these circumstances a team needs to check its determination and attitude, to believe in what we are doing and to keep working match by match." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI SAYING: "We are focused on Alaves, that's our match, it's a challenge and our goal. It's going to be a very demanding match, they are a team that hasn't lost in six matches and they also have big support at their stadium. They will force us to play a great match and we have to do it so we can remain at the top of La Liga." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI SAYING: "Of course Gareth (Bale) is an important player in our team. Fortunately he's fine, he has trained well. He detected some discomforts on time and if he had carried on, they would have got worse. That's why he came off at half time against Atletico Madrid, but now he's ready." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI SAYING: "The coach is responsible for everything, of the bad things, never of the good ones. Our profession is like that and we take it on naturally and we work so that the team can keep improving. We are aware on how this works so we act calmly and normally." LOPETEGUI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 19th October 2018 13:38
  • Keywords: soccer Real Madrid La Liga Spanish league Lopetegui Alaves
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA00190SJDQF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui will be desperate for a convincing victory at Alaves on Saturday (October 6) to stem the rising tide of discontent after the team's worst goal drought in 11 years.
    Lopetegui has come in for heavy criticism as Real have gone three games without scoring, with Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat at CSKA Moscow following a humbling 3-0 loss to Sevilla and a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid.
    The Real coach said he expected criticism because European champions are "a very demanding club."
    "The coach is responsible for everything, of the bad things, never of the good ones. Our profession is like that and we take it on naturally and we work so that the team can keep improving. We are aware on how this works so we act calmly and normally," he told journalists on Friday after training his team.
    Real remain joint top of La Liga with Barcelona despite their stuttering start to the campaign and are still expected to progress from their Champions League group, but that has not saved Lopetegui from criticism.
    The coach was lambasted by newspaper Marca for "treating the Champions League like an insignificant Cup game" in leaving captain Sergio Ramos at home and using the occasion to give 21-year-old Sergio Reguilon his first game for Real.
    Real's problems in front of goal do not appear to lie in failing to create chances, though, as they had a staggering 26 shots against CSKA and hit the woodwork twice.
    Instead, they appear to be lacking a prolific forward capable of filling the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo's departure for Juventus, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema's strike rates having slowed after promising starts.
    The lack of a goal threat could lead to Mariano Diaz forcing his way into the starting line-up against Alaves, who are in the unfamiliarly high position of sixth in the league standings and would go level on points with Real should they win on Saturday.
    Another concern for Real has been a habit of shipping goals early in games. They fell behind in the second minute against Moscow and conceded twice inside 21 minutes at Sevilla. Of the 11 goals they have conceded in their 10 games, eight have been scored in the first half.
    Lopetegui's plight has not been helped by injuries. Defender Dani Carvajal was forced off against CSKA and has been ruled out for Saturday, along with Isco and Dani Carvajal, while Raphael Varane is a doubt after missing training on Thursday.
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