Julen Lopetegui
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui said staying up this season has been a “little miracle” and warned the club have to learn lessons from the relegation fight.
Lopetegui’s side ended the season with a 5-0 defeat at Arsenal to finish 13th. The manager who is in talks with the club about their plans and his future, said he was not happy with the performance but didn’t want it to overshadow what had been achieved since he was appointed in November.
Wolves were bottom of the table then but have clinched safety with three games to spare. However, Lopetegui’s position has been the subject of speculation since he revealed he has been made aware of how the club’s plans could be affected by Financial Fair Play restrictions.
He said his own talks with the club hadn’t changed since his Friday press conference but stressed the need to improve. Talking about staying up after the situation he inherited,
Julen Lopetegui said: “Maybe it has been a little miracle and we have to learn for the future. Maybe one miracle is possible – two, no. That is why we have to learn for the future to be able to improve and do our homework.”
As for the performance at Arsenal,
Julen Lopetegui said: “Of course it is not good. We have lost against one of the best teams in the Premier League but the way we have lost… of course I am not happy. I am never happy when I lose. It is difficult to play in these kind of matches, for a lot of reasons. It is the last match and we have achieved our aim three matches before. We lost a lot of players today. (injured) But you want to compete here against Arsenal. You have to have your ‘best face’. This is very difficult but, if not, it is impossible. It is not easy. It is not an excuse, but it is not easy to play in these kind of matches. It is a pity because I don’t want to forget the second part of the season the team has had. It has been fantastic, to be out of relegation three matches before the end. Now I have had the chance to see the matches against other teams, other big teams that are in the Champions League. That is why I highlight the merit of these players.”
